Holding the Aces
by itsaaudra
Summary: A SlappyxAmy fanfic. "Green are your eyes, that have hurt me so deeply but I love just the same." -Ale Duncan
1. A Visit to the Shrink

It's been five years since that horrible day. Five years. It's almost hard to believe it's been that long. I'm 17 now.

Even though my parents saw, even though my sister and my brother saw, I was still told to go to a shrink. Not because I was crazy, but because they thought I was going to have horrible nightmares for the rest of my life. They were right.

No matter how many times I tried to convince myself he wasn't real and that I was imagining all of that, his horrific smile seeps into my mind.

It doesn't help that I was all over the news for a while.

"Preteen Girl Thinks She's Seeing Dolls Come to Life!"

The worst headline in history.

My best friend at the time, Margo, hated my guts. She thought I hurt her little sister. I would never. It took years of explaining for her to even remotely bother being my friend again.

I don't want to go into detail about my story, but to shorten it, I was really into ventriloquism as a kid. I got a dummy, he turned out to be alive, and my other dummy killed him. The end.

Dennis, the dummy that saved my life, was given to charity by my parents. He was okay with it, though. I knew that after that ordeal I would give up being a ventriloquist for good. He wanted to make people happy and laugh, so that's what he's doing now.

As for the other dummy… Slappy.

_Slappy_. That name was forever burned into my skull. His face still gives me nightmares. Those piercing green eyes stared into my soul as I slept.

My sister, Sarah, witnessed him coming to life. I never asked if she still had nightmares too. She's in town this weekend, so now's a good time to ask...

"You're making progress, Amy! This is the most you've talked since you came into my office," the soothing voice of Dr. Crier uttered. She's my psychiatrist.

"Well, yeah, because explaining it makes me feel like I'm crazy," I replied.

"Don't use that word," she frowned. She folded her arms, her hazel eyes locked onto my blue ones. "You are not crazy for believing your doll came to life. You know, the great Sigmund Freud once said 'children have no fear of their dolls coming to life, they may even desire it.'"

I rolled my eyes.

"Dr. C, I didn't 'desire' Slappy to come to life. I didn't want it. I DID fear it. He almost ruined my life!"

"Amy, come on now, you know he didn't really come to life. We've talked about this."

"Does this fear mean nothing to you?" I exclaimed. I leapt up from the comfy couch I was laying on. "I have been scarred for the rest of my life from this dummy. It wasn't a nightmare, it wasn't in my head."

"Okay, Amy. Okay. I think that's enough for today. We'll meet up next month so you can talk more, okay?" Dr. Crier patted my back. She let out a long sigh and escorted me out.

* * *

><p>I strolled along the side walk. I didn't live too far from Dr. Crier's office. It was nice taking walks, especially during autumn. It's a bit cold and breezy, but nice. The leaves were almost off their branches and the road was flurried with them. The road was shrouded in mist. It was beautiful.<p>

I took a different route home today than the usual one. It's a bit longer, so I wouldn't call it a short-cut.

_CRUNCH_

What was that?! I looked behind me. Nothing.

_CRUNCH_

"Who's there?!" I called out into the foggy nothingness. It must have been me stepping on the leaves.

_AMY_.

I heard a faint whisper. It creeped me out, but I continued walking. The sidewalk felt eerie. Somebody was out there.

_AAAAAMY_.

"Alright! That's it! I've had enough! Come out right now or I'll clobber your face in!"

No answer.

I groaned and took a step forward. I look forward, only to see a horrific face staring back at me.


	2. Dinner Time

"Jed!" I screamed. He was wearing a werewolf mask I bought him for Halloween two years ago. He couldn't stop laughing. I was panting, angered and recovering from that scare.

"You should've seen the look on your face!" He cackled. I ripped the mask off of his putrid little face. He continued to laugh, his braces glaring in the dim sunlight.

"What is your problem, braceface?!" I cried out. My face was blood red.

"Hey, I figured since it's almost Halloween, I'd scare the crap out of you… and don't call me braceface!"

"Whatever," I sighed. I slammed the mask back into his grubby palms. He's grown a lot since he turned 15. I guess puberty will do that for you.

I decided to walk home with the little dweeb. He may be a jerk, but he's my brother. He was pacing slowly behind me, walking with his arms outstretched like a zombie.

"Will you cut it out?" I moaned.

"They're coming to get you, Amy!" He wailed. He laughed menacingly. It echoed through the empty streets. It reminded me of something… or someone awful.

"Jed, please… you know I hate when you do that."

"What, laugh? Who are you, Joy McKillington? Lighten up," he giggled.

"It's just that…"

"I know, I know. It reminds you of that stupid puppet. When are you going to let it go?"

"Jed, you saw Dennis. He was alive too. Didn't that scare you at all?"  
>"Maybe a little bit, but not enough scar me for life!"<p>

"Forget it. Let's just get home. Mom said she's making lasagna tonight," I shook my head. He didn't understand. I don't think he ever could.

* * *

><p>"There you kids are!" Mom shouted as Jed and I strode into the front door. She rushed towards us and gave us a big hug.<p>

"Ugh, mom!" Jed groaned. I didn't mind her hugs.

"Guess who's home?!" She sung. I saw Sarah pop her head out of the kitchen. Her hair was blonde and shorter now, but she looked the same as she did the last time I saw her. She was 19 now, starting off at college. I forget where she's going, but it's a pretty far away art school.

"Amy! Jed!" She cried. I ran over to her and we collided in a bearhug. "I missed you, Amy. How have you been doing?"

"I've been okay, for the most part. Hey, Sarah, can I ask—" I was cut off by my dad. He walked into the doorframe, suitcase in hand as usual.

"Something sure smells good!" He kissed mom. He leaned over and gave my forehead a smooch. He smiled happily and hugged Sarah. "Good to see you, kiddo."

"Good to see you too, Dad," she smirked. "What was it you wanted to ask, Amy?" Everyone perched over us, curious about my question.

"Nothing, I'll ask later," I shrugged. I didn't want everyone to hear.

* * *

><p>We all sat down at the table for dinner. I remained quiet while Sarah discussed her school life and how great she's doing. Ever since the whole incident five years ago, Sarah and I put aside our fighting and bonded. I was still jealous of her, though. She was so perfect.<p>

"Amy, you've barely touched your lasagna," my Mom said. Her hazel eyes looked at me with worry.

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry. It's good, mom," I replied. I smiled weakly at her. She looked at my Dad, his blue eyes glistened.

"Amy, are you alright?"

"Dad, I'm fine. Hey, Sarah, what's college li—" I was cut off once again, this time by the ring of the doorbell.

"I'll get it," Sarah declared. She got up from the table and scurried to the door.

"Amy, if you're having problems, we can have you see Dr. Crier more," Mom whispered.

"Mom… I'm fine. I'm just a little shaken up after this bonehead tried to scare the shit out of me," I nodded over to Jed.

"Watch your mouth, young lady," Dad glared at me.

"Sorry… but, I'm fine, okay? Nothing to worry about," I whined, looking down at my plate.

"AMY, COME HERE," Sarah shouted. I jolted out of my seat and rushed to my sister, holding what looked to be two pieces of paper. She was shivering.

"What is it?!"

"You will never believe what these are…"

I took the two pieces of paper. I couldn't believe what I was holding.


	3. A Nightmare

Tickets.

"Amy… you… you know what these tickets are for, right?" Sarah asked, still shivering.

I didn't want to believe what they were for.

"Sarah, who was at the door?" Mom called from the kitchen.

"Uh, no one mom!" Sarah yelled back. She whispered to me, "I don't know who it was, but he handed me these tickets."

The tickets read: _THE JIMMY O'JAMES AND SLAPPY SHOW! Saturday, October 15__th__ at 4pm. _

I nearly fainted at the sight of that name. Is this really possible?

"Amy," Sarah started, worry in her voice. "Should… should we go?"

"What?!" I exclaimed. My heart was beating fast. I kept reading the tickets.

"I think… I think it would be good for us," she smirked. "We need to face our fear, Amy. This is an opportunity that just knocked on the door."

"It actually rang the doorbell," I joked, trying to make light of the situation.

"It's a figure of speech. Anyway, look, Amy… I think we should go. Truth be told, I'm scared too… but, I think we need to face our fear head on if we're ever going to get over it. I'll go with you."

"Okay… okay," I let out a heavy sigh. I didn't want to go. I really didn't.

Was this really the same dummy that tormented me? Maybe it was another one. Who could have given us these tickets? I pondered for the rest of the dinner. I could only imagine.

* * *

><p>It was late. The clock read 2 a.m. The wind whistled from outside my bedroom window. It was cold in my room, but the plethora of blankets that surrounded me helped. I couldn't stop thinking about those tickets. Who sent them and why? Was it the evil monster himself, or one of his "slaves?" The questions piled into my brain, so much so that it hurt. With all of the questions flooding my mind, I eventually dozed off.<p>

_BANG_

Something was slamming into the window.

_BANG BANG_

I got up to look outside. I didn't see anything but the pale moonlight shining into my room. I opened the window to get a closer look. Still nothing.

I close the window and feel a faint chill. A familiar chill.

A shadowy figure stood on my floor. A short, recognizable silhouette whose arms were fixed to its sides.

"Hello, Amy," the voice rasped. The moonlight shined on his face. His emerald eyes glowed with fervor, staring me down as I grasped onto my chest. My heart nearly exploded from it.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" I screamed. I threw my pillow at him. He dodged it and leapt onto my bed. He grappled my wrists and pinned me down.

"You should smile more often, Amy," he whispered. His smile spread wider across his hideous visage. He pulled a blade from his pockets and put it up to my lips. I was shaking like a leaf, whimpering as violently as a puppy. "If you won't smile for me, I'll make you smile."

He shoved the blade into the sides of my mouth, laughing maniacally.

I jolted from my bed, panting. It was only a nightmare.

I touched the sides of my mouth to make sure I wasn't scarred. I didn't feel anything. I've got to stop having nightmares like this.  
>I grabbed my teddy bear and drifted back to sleep, shivering from the cold and the fear.<p> 


	4. The Show

I hopped into Sarah's car. She had a black 1989 Camaro. My dad loves to spoil her. I doubt that when I get my license I'll get a car as nice as hers. She started the vehicle, causing it roar loudly.

It purred as she drove down the street. It was empty, as usual. This area has been quiet in the past few years, many families moved out after reading the headlines about me. It's not like I was dangerous.

Sarah drove downtown, where the theater was located. The theatre was called the Petite Chateaux, or the Little Mansion. It was a nice place.

As we pulled into the area, posters of Slappy and his ventriloquist were plastered all around the theater. It was him. It really, really was him. That devilish grin, flame-like red hair, smoldering green eyes, all dressed up with nowhere to go but hell. I sneered at his picture.

Sarah parked her car in the lot next door. It was pretty packed. I guess this show was pretty popular with the kids. I can't imagine why.

"Hey," Sarah said. "We can do this."

"Speak for yourself, sis," I groaned. It felt like he was watching me. Every time I passed the posters, it felt like his eyes were following me.

Sarah and I entered the theater. Lovely hibiscus plants were plastered on every corner and red chairs sat firmly in the lobby. The theater was beautifully painted, a dark red with streaks of gold. It was a nice environment. We handed the clerk our tickets and wandered into the amphitheater. Kids of all ages crowded the seats. Sarah and I grabbed a seat somewhere in the middle.

I could feel my skin tingle. I didn't like this.

The lights dimmed and the speakers began to emit an excited voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please put your hands together and welcome Jimmy O'James and his little pal, Slappy!"

The children clapped as the curtains separated. Standing in the spotlight was a tall, dark haired man holding _him_. The two were in matching suits. Jimmy, the ventriloquist, had his hair curled to match his dummy.

Slappy was snoring. His eyes were rolled into the back of his head, as if he wasn't creepy enough.

"Slappy? Hey, Slappy, we're on!" Jimmy shook him. Jimmy had a comforting voice. He was an older gentleman, probably in his mid 40's or early 50's.

"Huh? Oh! Jimmy, why didn't you say anything? I was having a wonderful dream!"

"Oh? What was it about?"

"Well, you were in it!"

"Is that why it was wonderful?"

"No, it was because you were hit by a truck!" Slappy exclaimed, his voice as raspy and nasally as ever. He cackled, and the children joined him.

"That's not very nice, Slappy! I assumed we were friends."

_Yeah, I feel you there, Jimmy. _I thought to myself.

"Well, you know what they say about assuming."

"Don't say it, Slappy, there are children in the audience!"

"What? I was just gonna say that people who assume are idiots," Slappy laughed in Jimmy's face. "Because if you think we're friends, then you must REALLY be the dummy!"

* * *

><p>The show went on for several more minutes. It was mostly Slappy and Jimmy bickering. It was amusing, but I felt so unhappy. This was real. My nightmare is only a few feet away from me.<p>

Slappy was scanning the audience periodically. His big eyes peered through the crowd throughout the entirety of the show. I'm not sure why, but it was pretty creepy. He stopped… he spotted me in the crowd.

His eyes fixated on me. I cowered into Sarah. Sarah noticed his eyes glaring at me and gasped.

Jimmy had been calling to Slappy, but he was concentrating on Sarah and I. He eventually noticed Jimmy's beck and responded with a cackle.

"Slappy, the show's almost over, and we still haven't done a joke with a member in the audience! Well, kids, who wants to be our guest tonight?" Jimmy declared. Many children shot their hands up.

"Actually, Jimmy," Slappy started. I knew what he was going to do. "Can I pick someone this time?"

"Well," Jimmy said. He took a sip of water. "Sure, Slappy. Go ahead."

Slappy's eyes were fixated on me again.

"The lovely young lady in the middle of the crowd. The one with the shoulder-length brown hair… Amy Kramer."

I started to breathe heavily. I began panting. Sarah grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eye. She gave me the "go up there" motion. I didn't want to.

"Amy Kramer? You there? Come on up!" Jimmy shouted.

Sarah lifted me up from my seat and gave me a little push. I staggered out of the crowd and into the walkway. I slowly inched my way to the stage.

"Come on, Amy. What are you waiting for?" Slappy sneered. He chuckled to himself.

I hopped up on to the platform. I tried to stay away from the wicked dummy and stood next to Jimmy. I was sweating bullets, and the spotlight wasn't helping.

"So, Amy, tell us a little about yourself?" Jimmy said. He smiled happily at me. I wonder if he knew about Slappy's evil.

"I… uh," I began, grasping at my shirt in terror. Slappy gazed at me, his thick eyebrows planted angrily on his face.

"Amy used to my sl-partner!" Slappy exclaimed. The audience ooh'd and ahh'd.

"Is that right, Amy?" Jimmy asked.

"Uh, yes," I replied.

"She was the dummy, I was the ventriloquist. Amy, my dear, you still look like a dummy to me!" Slappy cried out. The audience laughed. "How's your mother? Still the size of a hot air balloon? And your dad? Bald and boring?"

I couldn't breathe. I felt everyone's eyes staring at me, laughing like crazy. I felt sick and uneasy. I closed my eyes and collapsed onto the floor.

"Looks like you still have stage fright, Amy," Slappy giggled. I blacked out.


	5. Backstage Pass

I opened my eyes. The room was a bit blurry and the world felt like it was spinning out of control. The room was cramped and had posters scattered around. A large, dusty vanity sat in the corner. There were outfits hanging from the small closet.

When my eyes fully adjusted, I realized I was in a dressing room.

The posters were interesting. A few classic art pieces like Starry Night and The Scream. There was a poster of Amaz-O, the magician. The rest were posters of… Slappy.

"Amy, Amy, Amy," uttered a voice. I sat up and noticed Slappy standing in front of me. I crawled back towards the door. "Long time, no see."

He approached me. He began to circle me like a vulture waiting for its prey. He studied me, eyes scanning every inch of my body.

"My, how you've grown, Amy," he laughed, eyeballing me. "And might I say, you've grown pretty well."

"W-what do you want?"

"Is that any way to speak to an old friend?" He growled. His eyes dug into mine. "Besides, you're the one who fainted on my stage. I wasn't expecting to see your mug again."

"But… didn't you give me the tickets to your show?" I had to ask. The question was burning in my mind.

"What? I didn't give you any tickets," he shrugged.

"You're a pathetic liar!" I cried.

"Whoa, hey now," he grinned. "That may be one of my top qualities, but I'm telling ya the truth. But, I'm so glad you're here. So much has happened since the last time we've been together, Amy."

"I don't care! Let me out!" I shouted, tears developing in my eyes.

"I met these three kids after your retarded lackey split my face open. I turned one of 'em into a dummy, but then I got hurled out of a window by THEIR retarded lackey and blew up!"

"Slappy, please," I whimpered as he got closer, anger displayed on his face.

"Then, I met Jimmy! During one of our shows, I spotted a beautiful young girl, and get this, I almost got married to her… buuuut then her ugly doll beat me up and shredded me to pieces."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Oh, then after I recovered, I found Jimmy again and we're back in showbiz," he laughed triumphantly. "He may not like it, but you know me. I ALWAYS get what I want."

I trembled violently. His eyes locked viciously onto mine.

"Amy," he cackled. "I'm going home with you."

"What?! NO, NEVER!"

"I deeply regret the way things went down the last time," he grabbed my wrists. This had to be another nightmare. "You WILL take me home with you."

"Never! Dennis will—"

"HA. Dennis? Don't even joke about that. I already know he isn't there to protect you now," Slappy sneered. "I saw him with this kid at one of my shows. Sweet little girl. Dennis tried to attack me, but I overpowered him."

"W-what?"

"I tore his head off, Amy," he exclaimed. He made a motion showing me how he tore off my old dummy's head. He crowed hideously. I covered my mouth in disgust. "Don't make me tear yours off too!"

I scrambled to my feet and ripped the door open. I raced through the dark halls. Slappy's laugh echoed through them, following me as I ran.

"I'LL SEE YOU AROUND, AMY. BET ON THAT!"

* * *

><p>I bumped into Sarah in the main lobby, making me fall to the ground.<p>

"Oh, Jesus, Amy! There you are," she helped me up. "I had no idea where you went."

"I… I ended up in the dressing room in the basement."

"As long as you're alright, Amy."

My comment didn't phase her.

"I'm fine, let's just go home," I frowned. We moseyed out the front doors of the theater. I could still hear Slappy's wicked laugh. It won't leave me alone.

* * *

><p>We hopped into the car and drove back home. I was quiet for the remainder of the ride home. I was still in shock after that experience. He had to have something to do with those tickets.<p>

"You sure you're okay, Amy?" Sarah asked. "You're normally so loud and obnoxious."

"Yeah, well, no. I don't know," I sighed, hands on my cheek. We were passing the same path I took on my way home from Dr. Crier's yesterday. I decided I wanted to walk the rest of the way, hopefully it will clear my mind a bit.

"Hey Sarah," I glanced at her. She turned her head in confusion. "Mind if you let me out here? I kind of want to walk home."

"Oh, uh," she put her foot on the brake. "Sure, Am. Go for it."

I opened the car door and let myself out. Sarah drove back home slowly, checking to make sure I was alright.

I walked down the misty sidewalk, shivering from the breeze. The leaves fell continuously. Colorful leaves covered the road, it was actually quite nice to look at.

I felt a chill go down my spine as I heard the crunching of leaves.

"Jed? Is that you again?" I called out. No one answered. I shrugged and just kept walking. It felt like the temperature was dwindling.

_CRUNCH CRUNCH_

"JED! I swear to the flying spaghetti monster himself, if you're trying to scare me again, I'm going to kick your ugly little imp face in!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

_AMY_

"Jed! Stop!" I growled. I stopped walking and turned around. Nobody was around but me. I continued my stride until…

_HAHAHAHAHEHEHAHAHE_

I began to run, trembling as I sprinted away from the menacing sound. The end of the road seemed to stretch as the laughter paced behind me. I shut my eyes and continued to run. This can't be happening, this can't be happening.

I reached the end of the sidewalk. The community library was on my left, so I sped there, knowing there was at least somewhere safe I could go to.

I slammed the library doors, wheezing. I pulled out my inhaler from my back pocket and gave myself a spritz.

"Oh, hello, Amy," a benevolent voice chimed.

"Oh, hi Mr. Mortman."

Mr. Mortman is an average sized man, a little plump. He's bald, wears glasses and is always donning a turtleneck. He's your basic librarian, nothing out of the ordinary about him.

"What's got you in a fuss, sweetheart?" He patted me on the back.

"Oh, um, nothing. Well, actually… there is something."

"Well, what is it?"

"I'm being chased by a monster," I uttered silently. He paused for a while, glaring at me. He let out a faint giggle.

"Oh, dear," he laughed. "You know there's no such thing as _monsters_."

"But, Mr. Mortman, he is a monster. He's tried to ruin my life, he tried make me his slave… he's horrible. He-he's coming back for me now."

"Hmm," he stopped. He placed his hand on his chin, thinking to himself. "Come with me."

I followed Mr. Mortman to the back of the library. I've never seen this section before. It was full of musty books, all of which had odd names. He began scanning for a specific book. He uttered a little "ah-hah" as he took the book off the shelf. It was old and decrepit looking, filthy and covered in dust.

Mr. Mortman blew the dust off of the cover. It didn't have a title, nor any sort of graphic on the front. He handed it to me.

"If this monster is as bad as you say, this could prove useful for you."

I opened the book. Inside were a plethora of strange words and pictures.

"What is this? Some sort of spell book or something?"

"Just… don't let it get into this monster's hands. Please," he warned me. I looked through the book. I couldn't understand any of it.

"Okay, well, I better get going."

"See you around, Amy," Mr. Mortman responded. "Please come back any time."

"You know I will!" I shouted as I ran out the door. It began to rain. I could feel the water pour from the sky. "Oh, great."

I walked the rest of the way home. When I opened the door, I was greeted by my mother.

"Honey, look at you, you're a mess! You should get dressed," she cooed.

"What? Why?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I should have mentioned. Margo called, she's having a party tonight! She wanted you to come."

"Oh… wait, really?" I smiled. A party should cheer me up. "That's great! I'll uh, I'll go get changed. Thanks mom."

"No problem, sweetie," she remarked.

I hurried up the stairs. I'm actually surprised Margo invited me. For the longest while, she hated me for what I… _he_ did to her sister, Alicia. I had to explain that it must have been an accident and that I would never do that to a child. She believed me, and now we're on good terms. I haven't seen her in a while, though. She still lives close by.

I put on a comfortable sweater, a pair of jeans, and a ball cap. I've been feeling rather boyish lately. I put the strange book into my bag and brought it with me. I waved goodbye to my parents, my brother and sister and hurried out the door.

This party will be great.


	6. Paper Faces on Parade

**I'm on a roll :D**

**I'm not sure what direction I want this to go. I've been contemplating on whether or not I'd like to make Slappy human or if I want to keep him as is. Any suggestions?**

* * *

><p>I could hear the music blaring from the house. Margo had a really nice place. Two stories, beautiful front yard with two expensive cars placed in the driveway. Her parents were pretty rich.<p>

I ring the doorbell and her father answered. He was a chunky man, balding with wireframe glasses. He was darker skinned counterpart of my dad. He loved me.

"Amy, dear," he bellowed as he hurried me inside. "How have you been?" He gave me a bearhug and handed me a mask.

"What's this for?"

"Margo forgot to let you know that it was a masquerade party," he giggled. "See?"

He showed me the room where everyone was gathered. All of them wearing masks of all different shapes, sizes, animals and colors. It was awesome to see.

An almond-skinned girl wearing a bright red mask came up to me.

"Amy! It's me, Margo," she said. Her brown eyes glistened underneath the mask. Margo looked so different. Her curly black hair was put up into a bun and her breasts must have grown two sizes since we last hung out. She gave me a long hug. "So glad you could come."

"Well, thanks for inviting me," I replied. I put the fluorescent green mask on and followed her into the crowd. I spotted Shane and Tyler, two boys Margo adored back in middle school. She was dating Shane now, I think.

"Oh, Amy, I'd like to introduce you to my new friends!" She pulled my arm towards a larger young man and a petite girl. They sat calmly on the couch. "This is Jillian. She's 18."

The petite girl in the yellow mask gave me a wave. She had short, wavy hair and wore a plaid sweater. Her blue eyes sparkled in the dim lighting.

"Hey!" She shook my hand. I felt like I knew her. "This big lug is Harrison, by the way."

The chubby boy wore a striped sweater. He was holding a slice of pizza.

"Hiya," he mumbled through chews. Jillian rolled her eyes. I faintly waved at him. "Want some?" He offered his half-eaten pizza to me.

"Uhh, no thanks," I declined.

"Eh, suit yourself," Harrison replied, finishing off the pizza.

"Well, I guess we'll talk later?" Jillian inquired.

"Yeah, definitely," I replied sheepishly. I still couldn't shake the feeling that I knew her somehow..

* * *

><p>The storm outside roared as the lightning shined through the windows. The thunder scared some of the people, but everyone else was dancing to the music completely unaffected by the booming noise outdoors. I sat next to Jillian and Harrison on the couch, both of them sipping on colas. Some of the kids were drinking alcohol. I've never had the stomach for it.<p>

Some of the kids staggered around drunkenly, dancing like they have ants in their ass.

"So, I haven't seen you at school before," Jillian began.

"Oh, I'm home schooled," I told her. It was true, ever since the incident with Slappy, my parents thought it would be better to take me out of public school in fear that I would be ridiculed mercilessly.

"That's cool," Harrison remarked.

"It's alright. I don't have too many friends, other than Margo. When you're not in public school, it's difficult to make them."

"We'll be your friend, Amy," Jillian smiled at me. I smiled back. Jillian was incredibly nice, her smile was relieving and warm. I think we could be great friends.

The thunder boomed as the lightning struck brightly outside. The lights flickered and eventually shut off entirely. The crowd gasped, moaned and complained. A girl screamed loudly, mostly to be obnoxious. I hate it when the power goes out. I removed the mask and set it down next to my bag.

"Is everybody alright?" Margo's mother called from upstairs.

"The power went out, mom," Margo replied. "But don't worry, I'll go fix it." Margo got up from the floor, a little tipsy from drinking. She went downstairs to the basement and tried to turn the power back on… but to no avail.

"Well, guys, looks like we have to party in the daaaaark!" Margo called out. A few people shouted happily. Margo handed out glow sticks to all of the partygoers, including Jillian, Harrison and I. The party went on seamlessly.

* * *

><p>I grabbed my bag from the sofa. The lights came back on right before the party was over. I gave Jillian and Margo a hug, and waved goodbye to everyone else.<p>

"I'll see you around, Amy," Jillian shouted.

"See ya," I called back to her. I closed the front door behind me. That was a fun party.

The rain let up a bit as I walked back home. A smile was plastered on my face, I was so happy that I made new friends and got to see some old ones.

I unlocked the front door to my house and walked in. Jed was sitting on the sofa playing his Playstation 2, tongue sticking out in concentration. He noticed me walk in.

"What's up, loser?" He sneered.

"Nothing much, dirtbag," I stuck my tongue out at him. He returned the gesture.

I hobbled upstairs to my room. I decided now would be a good time to check out that book Mr. Mortman gave me. Maybe, if it's a spellbook, I can teach myself something to make Slappy leave me alone forever. I emptied the bag onto my bed.

What? Where was the book?

I dug into my bag and it was nowhere to be found. Did I leave it at Margo's? Did I not even bring it? I frantically searched my room for it.

I could not lose that book. If Slappy gets a hold of it...

A chill ran down my spine.

"Yoohoo," a voice beckoned. "Looking for something?"

Slappy appeared in the windowsill, soaking wet. He was donning a masquerade mask, the fluorescent green one I had on earlier. It complemented his round green eyes. He had the book in his hand.

"No!" I cried. "Give me that book, Slappy!"

"Oh, please," he leapt from the windowsill and onto my bed, leaving a muddy footprint on my comforter. "You don't even know what any of these things mean! I bet you can't read a single syllable in this book."

"Slappy, please, give me the book!"

"Ha, I don't yield to you," he opened the book and began peering through it. "Let's see… should I turn you into a frog or a pile of dirt? Which complements you best?"

He snickered. I could feel the rage filling up in me.

"What… do you want, Slappy?"

"I told you. I wanted to come home with you," he looked up at me from the book.

"But why? What makes me any different from the other girls you can torture?"

"You know, Amy," he sat down on my bed. "I'm not sure. You've always had… ambition. Talent. You've got moxie, kiddo. I want you to obey me. If I can get someone like you to listen to my every command… "

"Never! I'm not going to be your slave, Slappy. I'm NEVER going to listen to you."

"Heh," he chortled. He flipped through the book and found a few pages that caught his eye. He ripped them out and shoved them in his pockets. He hurled the book at me, hitting me square in the face.

"So long, Amy," Slappy declared, hopping towards the window. He ripped off the mask and tossed it gently on the now mud-stained bed. "I'll be seeing you again real soon."

He blew me a kiss and sprung out of the two-story window. That was… weird.


	7. Sarah's Goodbye

**Shoutout to Personel Change, one of my biggest inspirations on this website~ I'm not gonna lie, I keep your story open and refresh it now and again until you update :D Thank you for your awesomeness and don't worry, alllll will be explained xD**

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><p>I picked up my filthy, wet comforter and hurdled it down the stairs. The muddy footprints left a familiar, yet disgusting taste in my mouth.<p>

I made my way into the laundry room and tossed the dirty thing in the washer. Pouring the delightful smelling detergent in, I took a whiff. _Mmm, Spring Breeze_.

"Hey, Am," Sarah walked into me sniffing the detergent. "Why are you doing laundry at midnight?"

"I… uh," I didn't want to tell her about my uninvited guest. "I had another nightmare."

"You wet the bed?" Sarah giggled uncontrollably.

"No," I rolled my eyes and set the machine to wash. "I just felt like washing it, you asshole."

"Man, you really have to watch that mouth," she retorted. "You shithead."

"What are you doing up?"

"Well, I figured I might as well catch up on some television while I was home. You don't really get to watch as much TV at college as you would think. I get way too busy."

"Oh, that reminds me," I exclaimed. "I was going to ask the other night. What's college like?"

"It's exhausting. So much homework, artistic and otherwise. But at the same time, it's a lot of fun. I've met a lot of new friends, joined a few clubs… and don't tell mom and dad this, but I have a boyfriend up there!"

"Shut up!" I gave her a friendly hit.

"Seriously!" We both laughed. I needed some sisterly bonding time. "Hey, while you wait for your comforter, wanna watch TV with me?"

"I have no idea what's going on in your shows, though."

"Who cares? Just do it," she yawned as she pulled me to the living room and onto the couch. She flipped on the television. Her show just went to commercial. "Damn it!"

The commercials were boring, mostly ridiculous advertisements for other shows and movies. I yawned. I felt my head fall back into the couch. I shut my eyes and drifted off.

* * *

><p>I opened my eyes again. Sarah was gone and the TV was off. The house was dark and quiet. How long was I out?<p>

I flick the TV on again. Static. Lovely.

I tried to change the channels, but it was all static. All but one.

The TV was focused on the outside of a warehouse. Just a barren warehouse. It transitioned to the inside of the building. The camera panned around the empty building. Blackness.

The television was almost completely dark until…

_BAM_

Slappy popped up on the screen unexpectedly. He was glaring at me directly. His devilish green eyes began to circulate in an almost hypnotic motion. He banged his tiny wooden fists on the glass, causing the TV to shake. I backed up into the couch.

"Sarah?! Jed?! Mom, Dad?! ANYONE?!" I called out into the vacant house. No one called back.

Slappy thrashed at the screen so hard that it shattered onto the floor. Bits of glass surrounded the couch. He burst from the television, making the glass go _CRUNCH_ as he inched closer towards me.

"You belong to me," he chanted. "You belong to me!"

He moved forward, his eyes danced in violent green spirals. I threw the decorative pillow at him. He dodged my throw, as usual. _I need better aim_, I thought. His wicked smile started to spread as he continued his chant. "YOU BELONG TO ME, AMY!"

I sprung from the couch. Sarah, snoring besides me, groggily lifted her head.

"You alright, Amy?" She yawned and dozed off again.

I seriously dreamt all of that? I've gotta stop having these nightmares. The television flashed onto a commercial yet again. I lumbered over to the laundry room to toss my comforter into the dryer. For some reason, all I could see was the color green. Everywhere.

* * *

><p>I slept on the couch for the night. It wasn't too comfortable, but since my comforter wasn't done by 2 AM, I figured I might as well. I tossed and turned all night. I couldn't stop thinking about Slappy. The night he came into my room. He blew me a kiss and told me he'd see me soon. That was disturbing. Not to mention, he took three pages from that book. I hope none of those pages were anything dangerous or life-threatening to <em>me<em>… and that nightmare. It felt too real. All of them do.

"Amy, are you up?" Dad prodded my back. "Sarah's gotta get back to school."

"W-what?!" I scrambled on the couch and fell off. "Sarah's leaving already? She just got here!"

Sarah staggered down the stairs with a suitcase. Mom and Jed followed behind, also carrying her suitcases. Jed let out a relieved sigh when he plopped it down.

"Sarah," I started. She rushed over to me and squeezed the life out of me.

"I'm sorry, Amy," she cried, still hugging me. "I've got to go back to school. I've got classes tomorrow."

"But you just got here," I sniffled. I kind of wanted to cry.

"Hey, I'll be back for Thanksgiving," she replied. She had teary eyes herself. She came in close. "Please be careful, Amy. I don't want to hear anything about Slappy while I'm gone, alright?"

I didn't know what to say. I just hugged her really tightly.

"Yuck," Jed called, sweeping his dark bangs to the side. "Can we move your junk to the car now, Sarah?"

"Oh, yeah," she answered back. She ruffled my hair and waved goodbye. I was going to miss her a lot. Mom, Jed, and Sarah moved her belongings outside. Dad joined them to give Sarah his goodbyes.

I faintly wept to myself while I was alone for the brief amount of time. As much as we used to hate eachother when we were younger, she grew on me. She was my sister, after all. I couldn't hate her after everything we've gone through. If… when Slappy comes back, I'll have no one to turn to.


	8. Something to Ask Me?

The day went on drearily. I already missed Sarah. She's probably already halfway there by now.

I sat on my bed lazily. It was nice outside. I wanted to peruse the library, but Mr. Mortman closed it on Sundays. I guess that was his only off day.

Since I felt like reading, now would be a good time to look through the book. I opened the drawer I stashed it in so that Slappy wouldn't get a hold of the damn thing and took it out. I flipped through its musty pages. This book must be as old as that creepy old dummy himself.

I still couldn't make the words out, but I noticed that the pictures seemed to depict what the spell meant. There was a picture of a human-like silhouette and an arrow directed at a frog. Maybe that was what Slappy meant when he wanted to turn me into a frog. I continued to look through the book. The more I looked, the more it made sense to me. I saw love spells, demon summoning spells, and transformation spells. So many strange words but I could somehow understand them.

I heard the doorbell ring from downstairs. I brought the book down with me. Usually, Mom or Dad would get the door, but they were both at work. Jed was at his stupid friend's house, so I was all alone.

I peered through the peek-hole. It was Jillian! I opened the door swiftly and greeted her.

"Hey!" She exclaimed and hugged me. "What are you up to?"

"Oh, not much, just doing some reading," I shrugged. I held the book up to her.

"That's cool. Hey, listen, I've gotta ask you something," she replied awkwardly, her hands behind her back. I let her inside.

"What's up, Jillian?"

"Margo was telling me about what happened with you and her little sister," she initiated.

"Oh, jeez," I gave myself a facepalm. "It didn't happen, I swear. It must have been an accident or something."

"Yeah, well, it's not that," she blushed. She seemed scared. She hesitated a bit, then shook her head aggressively. "You know what… nevermind. I decided I don't really want to bring it up."

She rushed out of the door before I could even comment. Her face was red.

"I'm sorry! I'll talk to you about it another time!" She shouted as she hurried down the street. That was really weird. What did she want to ask me?

I shut the door and started walking upstairs. The doorbell rang again.

I opened it. Jillian wasn't there.

"Jillian? You there?" I peeked out of the doorframe. I decided to step outside and see if anyone was there, or if I was just going bonkers. The neighborhood grew quiet.

I felt a cold hand grasp my face, blocking my vision. A wet napkin shrouded my nose and mouth. I struggled and squirmed in the stranger's hands.

"Just breathe," the soothing voice whispered.

Before I knew it, I was out cold.


	9. Transformation

**I DID THE THING**

**I DID THE THING**

**EDIT: I totally forgot to add a part of the "ritual." Added!**

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><p>I could feel myself coming to. My head was whirling. It felt like I just went head to head with Mike Tyson. My eyelids twitched as my head thudded vigorously against my temples. I was really cold. A horrible chill struck my body like a lightning bolt.<p>

I held my head and slowly opened my eyes. I couldn't see anything. _Did I go blind?_ I thought to myself. It was immensely dark.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the soft flicker of a candle. My eyes started to adjust. I slowly looked up from the freezing floor I was laying on to see a man. He looked familiar. Was that who I thought it was?

Jimmy O'James! He looked odd. Something about him felt eerie. When I stood next to him on stage, he had a very vibrant presence, albeit a little depressed, but still felt human. Now, as I lay a mere few inches away from him, he seemed like nothing more than a puppet.

_SNAP_

Suddenly, Jimmy lifted me roughly. He grabbed me by my arms and dragged me to another part of the building. The building seemed familiar, as well. It looked like the warehouse from my dream.

I groggily let Jimmy drag me to wherever it was he was taking me. I looked at his eyes. His eyes… they were completely green, with dark circles orbiting rhythmically. _He was being hypnotized_, I concluded. If Jimmy is being hypnotized, I don't want to know how this will end for me.

He sat me down abruptly on an old, wooden chair. He secured my wrists and ankles to the chair. I struggled to get out, but it was no use. Candles surrounded the floor in front of me in a circle. It felt like some kind of movie about witchcraft or some shit. I saw a hooded figure between the candles. Behind him was a large gate. It looked like it had been atrociously painted over, with figments of black, red, and green still peeking out.

"Amy," the figure rasped. "So glad that you could join me, tonight."

The short figure removed his hood, revealing, you guessed it. Slappy.

"That'll be all, slave," he laughed. He clapped his hands together and Jimmy disappeared into the darkness. "Do you like Jimmy like this? I certainly do!"

Looking at Slappy, I couldn't help but feel overpowered. I knew I was in danger. I tried to struggle some more, but nothing worked.

"Squirm all you want, Amy. You're not getting away this time."

"You little bastard," I shouted. I couldn't help it.

"You watch your tongue," he snickered. He dug into his inner coat pocket and pulled out the three pages he took. "You see, since I grabbed these spells, I figured I would let you decide your own fate."

"I don't know what they mean," I cried. I fibbed, I was starting to understand the bizarre language, the more I read… _the book_! I frantically looked around for it. "W-what did you do with the book?!"

"Don't worry about the book," he hopped onto my lap and stared me in the face. He stuck the three pages out and exhaled. "Three choices, Amy. All will benefit me," he paused and started to giggle uncontrollably. "However, one has its ways of benefitting you, if you catch my drift."

"I don't," I squealed. I didn't have a clue what kind of cryptic fuckery he was spouting.

"Three choices," he repeated. "Pick one, Amy. I can't guarantee you'll like MY choice if I picked for you."

"What are the choices?"

"Ha! Like I'd tell you," he giggled, but then quickly realized I should have a clue what I'm getting into. He put his empty hand on my cheek. "One spell will make you listen, one spell will end your life. Another will make you mine forever, so go ahead and choose your vice. Hehehe!"

I shivered. His rhyme rolled off of his tongue, with a slithering voice that twisted into my mind like a snake. I contemplated which of the three pages I should choose. Either way, it wouldn't be good for me. I took a deep breath and decided.

"The middle one," I gulped. He guffawed and wedged the other two pages back into his pocket. He hopped off of my lap and back into his ring of candles. He threw his cloak off and out of the circle.

He pulled a needle from the front pocket of his jacket and grabbed my index finger. He pricked it gently, making me wriggle in my seat.

"It's alright, Amy," he whispered. He wiped my blood on the page. "With your blood, we will be one."

He held the page to his face and began to speak. The words were ancient and foreign. They had a similar ring to them as the ones on his card. I could hear thunder rumbling outside as he spoke, shaking the warehouse. I could feel the power in his annoying little voice. I tried to translate the spell as he read it, but it was nearly impossible. Even with this new knowledge I had about the spells and the book, I couldn't find the words to describe them. The only words I could make out were: "Flesh," "Mine," "You and I," and "One." What could they mean? Was he serious about my blood making us become one?

He finished the spell and a jolt of bright green light engulfed him. I could hear him cackling and screaming. He made guttural sounds as he shrieked and snickered. It was disgusting. Between the light, I saw what was happening.

His wooden fingers stretched and separated, sprouting fingernails. He wiggled his fingers freely. His small stature extended, his suit lengthening with him, hugging his new figure. His face shifted, adding an excess of orange freckles to match his hair. His eye shape began to go from being bulgy and round, to more protruding and hooded. His sculpted, auburn hair transformed into a flaming mane, still retaining its shape. The lines that made up his mechanical mouth evaporated and his curved lips became fleshy and thin. His ivory, fleshy skin glistened in the dim light of the candles.

He opened his eyes. His irises were a brilliant emerald green, glinting with zeal as he glared down at me. He was towering over me. He took a deep breath, his chest raising as he inhaled.

"S-Slappy?" I gasped. I could not believe what I was seeing. Despite being an evil creature, he was exceptionally dashing.

He exhaled, revealing a row of pearly white teeth.

"In the flesh," he laughed. His voice had deepened. It was almost silvery, but penetrating. When he laughed, though, it was as shrill as before.

He blew out the majority of the candles, except for one. He picked it up and stepped towards me. He grinned at me, his eyes dancing with the flames in a devilish tango.

"Amy," he growled. "You belong to me."


	10. Welcome Home

He untied my bindings to the chair and lifted me up by the chin. His hands were soft, but gripped me firmly. I tried to writhe my way out of his grip, but he was too strong. His bony fingers clasped me with force. He grabbed the rope used to bind me to the chair and wound it around my hands tightly, tying me back up. He hauled me to the gate.

He called over to Jimmy, who rushed over in a hurry. I studied his new face while the light of the candle immersed it. He had a strong jaw, with a little buttchin, which made me snicker to myself. His cheeks were bony, but went with the structure of his face. The freckles complemented his ferocious irises, and made him appear friendlier to the eyes. His upper lip was thinned out, while his lower lip was plumper. His eyebrows were thick and furrowed in contempt, but his dense eyelashes gave him a less angry look. I couldn't believe I was going to say this, but I kind of started to like what I was looking at.

Slappy lugged me out of the gate, then out of the door, Jimmy directly behind us. I tried to scream, but Slappy slammed his hand on my mouth. I bit down on his hand, hard. He yelled out in pain. He pulled my hair roughly and pushed me into a car. He jumped in back with me. Jimmy got into the driver's seat and started it.

"You know where to go, Jimmy," Slappy declared. Jimmy stepped on the gas and the car started moving. Slappy held me close to him. My head sat on his chest. I could hear his heart beating faintly. I'm surprised he even has one of those.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked. He didn't answer for a long while. The car ride fell silent.

"I'm taking US to our new home," he responded blankly. He stared out of the window and at the columns of trees on the side of the road.

"Us? New home? I don't want to live with you! I want to go home!" I screeched. Slappy grabbed my hair and brought my face up to his.

"Listen, Amy," he narrowed his intense eyes at me. "You're going to live with me, you're going to be mine forever. I don't care if you scream or cry or beg, I am never letting you go back to your family."

"You can't do this, Slappy!"

"MASTER," he screamed in my face.

"I don't want to call you that. I will NEVER call you that!" I screamed back in his. We were both staring at each other, our eyes locking at an impasse. He smirked at me.

"Fine, Amy. That's fine," he chuckled. He grabbed a hold of my chin. "I guess you don't want food, or a home at all either. Oh, and while I'm at it, I might as well use the other pages I stole from the book and turn you into a mindless zombie like Jimmy. Or, I can turn myself into a horrific monster and eat you like the delectable little snack you are. Would you prefer that, Amy?"

I looked away from his penetrating eyes. I started to tear up a little. I could feel my chest flaring up in sadness. I didn't want to live like this. I didn't want to be under this evil creep's thumb for the rest of my life. I was overwhelmed. I burst into tears.

Slappy looked at me with disdain. His eyes still glaring at me as I wept. He then let out a long sigh and shut his eyes. He put his hand on my head and pet my hair softly. _I'm not your pet._

"Don't cry, Amy," he cooed. He put a finger from his free hand up to his mouth and made a _shh_ sound. "I'm not going to eat you. I was only kidding."

"How can you expect me not to cry in a situation like this? You steal from me, kidnap me, turn yourself human and expect me to respond to every beck and call. Why me, huh? Why me? Didn't I make it obvious that I despise you? Why can't you get that through your thick skull?! Kidnapping me and forcing me into this won't make me hate you any less!" I screamed shakily, my heart thudding wildly. He stared at me, eyes narrowed. His lips were pursed together. Suddenly he spoke.

"You know, you're right. But here's the flaw in your logic… I don't CARE that you hate me, nor do I care that you don't like the situation you're in," he hissed, eyebrows furrowing into rage. "What you don't seem to understand, my dear, is that I hold the aces here. You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not."

I let out a heavy sigh and continued to cry. My eyes were filled to the brim with warm tears. I could feel myself shivering in sorrow.

"So, cut the waterworks and shut your face," he pulled me close to him again, digging my face into his chest. My tears seeped into his jacket. _I just want to go home._ He continued to pet my hair. It felt kind of relaxing, actually.

Time went by as the car glided smoothly across the dark, winding road. An hour must have gone by since we left. Arguing with Slappy must have made the time go by quickly.

"Jimmy, how much farther?" Slappy declared. His constant stroking was making me sleepy. I was starting to fall asleep.

"We'll be there shortly," Jimmy's soothing, monotonous voice called from the driver's seat.

"I asked you how much longer," Slappy snarled in response.

"At least another hour, master."

"Okay," Slappy sunk back into the seat. I looked up at him, still teary eyed. He combed his thick hair with his free hand. He had a look of concern on his face. What does he have to be concerned about?

He was still caressing my head, fondling my hair with his long fingers. I've calmed down a bit, my eyes less soggy from sobbing. I eventually dozed off.

* * *

><p>I felt someone shaking me violently. My eyes widened as I awoke. The car had stopped moving and appeared to be parked in a relatively vacant lot. There were few cars, and some of them looked like they haven't been used in weeks, maybe months. Or even years.<p>

"Wake up," Slappy demanded, rocking me to make sure I was awake. He forcefully pulled me from the back seat and out of the car. Jimmy locked the car as he stepped out. I looked around the lot. It was dead.

"Where are we?" I sleepily whined. It looked like a graveyard. It wasn't until I turned my head that I saw an enormous, gaping mouth. I screeched.

"Home," Slappy responded with a cackle. He pushed me towards the mouth. It looked like an entrance to somewhere. The mouth was green, with massive spikes jutting out from the top, I assumed they were the teeth. The inside of the mouth had a snake-like tongue, similar to that of a red carpet. Slappy continued to shove me into the cavernous void. Jimmy followed behind.

"What _is _this place?" I asked cautiously, my mind exploring the possibilities.

"Welcome, Amy," he giggled. He put a hand on my eyes as we fully entered the mouth. I could feel a rush of air as we walked in. The smell was putrid, but also intoxicating. It smelled like sweat, rot, and popcorn… not a pleasant combination. I could hear screeching and howling from far away. Rumbling noises could be heard close by, accompanied by the screams. I could hear deep laughter emanating from loud speakers. _Where the fuck am I?_

"Welcome to Horrorland!"

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><p><strong>AWWWWshit, son! I brought 'em to Horrorland :D<strong>


	11. Firefly

**Update: Personel Change, you totally reminded me to add the rest of the suite in the description OwO thank you! xD**

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><p>He removed his hands from my eyes so I could see what this Horrorland looked like. It was vast, nearly twice the size of any normal amusement park. I could vaguely remember hearing about Horrorland on television and from a few friends who went. They said it was the scariest thing they have ever experienced in their lives. This can't be good.<p>

I tried to push Slappy back to avoid going any further into this park, but he wouldn't budge. Instead, he heaved me forward, causing me to nearly fall flat on my face. He detained my wrists and forced me to walk ahead. The dirt roads were winding, but he was pushing me in the direction he wanted us to go. This was humiliating.

I turned my head and saw a large creature handing out black popcorn to a small child. It was hideous. I couldn't tell if it was an intricate costume or an actual monster. After all, there was an actual monster dragging me along like a sheep to the slaughter. It had unruly, pointed horns protruding from the sides of its head. Its eyes were a glowing yellow and it had sharp, jagged teeth. The rough, ashy skin on this creature was a putrid green color. It glared at me as I gawked at it.

"What is that?" I whispered to Slappy.

"Don't worry about it," he mumbled. "I'll tell you about them later."

"Them?!" I exclaimed. This bizarre species must be an infestation in this park.

We continued to hustle through the park. The brisk air felt cold against my skin as we breezed past more of those green creatures. Some of the creatures were wearing amusing costumes and attempted to entertain crying children. There were signs in the shape of arrows pointing to a handful of different attractions and sections of the massive park. _Vampire Village? Monster Zoo? What kind of theme park is this?_

He continued to scoot me across the dirt until we abruptly stopped. We reached a large castle-esque building. A sign above the entrance read: "Stagger Inn." _A motel? _There were statues of those creatures holding axes erected in front of the stairway…_spooky_. Slappy untied me, and wrapped his lanky arms around mine. He smirked and escorted me inside. It was incredibly massive. Lanterns hung on the cobblestone walls. A huge, middle-age chandelier swung on the ceiling of the lobby. The floor was draped with a crimson, velvet carpet. It felt like The Ritz, but it was a hotel… or a motel. Why would we be living in a motel?

Slappy paraded us to the front desk and rung the service bell. One of those monsters stepped out of the door behind the desk. It was a female, I think. She had a glorious blonde wig on and wore a corset which made her enormous green breasts pop out. I saw Slappy glance down at her.

"Oh, well, look who it is!" She yelled. She had a faint southern accent hidden in her shrill voice. "My dear, how're you? I haven't seen you in well over a few decades! You look different. Did you cut yer hair?"

"Hello, Miriam," Slappy responded. He seemed pleased to see this woman. I admit, I felt kind of jealous. He kissed her clawed hand, making her titter. She had a snaggletoothed smile.

"Returning to your suite? Top floor?" Miriam questioned, grabbing the key to this supposed suite.

"Of course," Slappy smiled. She handed him the key and a couple of candies.

"You're as handsome as ever, _Firefly_," she gave him a wink, blew him a kiss, and returned back into her little room. Her tail shut the door on her way in.

"Firefly?" I chuckled. Slappy glared at me.

"A pet name," he said sheepishly, blushing. "Miriam and I go back a few decades."

_Ew, gross, did he date that thing?_

"Anyway, I think you're going to like it here. I've lived in that suite for many, many years. It's enormous," he rambled. "Think of an apartment, but slightly bigger."

He waltzed me into the elevator, Jimmy stayed downstairs. I guess Slappy didn't want him coming with us. I saw him hit the button for the 13th floor and the elevator started whirring. It slowly brought us up. The elevator stopped at the 4th floor, and a gelatinous green slime ball slithered in.

"Could you please press the 9th floor for me?" The blob's voice was guttural and unnatural. Slappy pressed the button for him.

"Hey, ain't you that dummy fella?" The blob spurted.

"Yes," Slappy responded blankly, rolling his eyes.

"Who's the dame?" The blob sprouted a limb from its globule form and tried to touch me, but Slappy smacked its "hand" away.

"Mind your business," Slappy barked at the blob. The blob mouthed "jeez" from his mouth-like orifice and turned the other way. The elevator dinged and the blob skidded out into the dark corridor.

"Freak," Slappy mumbled under his breath. The elevator went a few more floors until we finally reached unlucky 13. Slappy ushered me into the hallway. It had scarce rooms, most of which had names on a plaque above the doors. _Curly. Count Nightwing. Prince Khor-Ru. _This was horrific.

We reached the door with Slappy's name above it. He thrust the key into the door and unlocked it. When he flung open the door, a scent wafted from within. It smelled like old wood, with a hint of pumpkin. What an odd smell.

He stepped into the room first, looking around aimlessly. The suite was painted in a pale green color, with red, satin curtains hanging from the windows. The wooden floor had one of those animal skin rugs, but I didn't recognize this animal. It was blue. It didn't really match the interior of the room, but looked hella cool. There were candles all around, with the accompaniment of a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There was an oversized bed, with cherry-colored silk sheets and a handful of pillows. An old-timey record player sat in the corner by the bed. On the wall hung several portraits of Slappy._ He sure is full of himself. _There was also a portrait of an unfamiliar man with glasses and a distinctive mole on his face. _How weird. _

The room was enormous. There was a large vanity sitting by a door leading to the bathroom. There was a small kitchen in the opposite corner of the bathroom, with an elegant little dining area. There was another door placed next to the refrigerator, but I didn't know where it led. There were shelves that hung on the walls, all filled with old, musty books and some records. Large cedar wood dressers sat directly from the bed. The suite was cozy, but it wasn't my home. Slappy sighed thoughtfully.

"Do you like it?" Slappy asked, smiling with glee. He was happy to be, what he considered, home.

"It's really nice, Slappy," I said. "But it…it isn't my home."

"It is now," he whispered. He approached me with a hungry look in his eye. I wanted to back away, but he quickly grabbed me. He pulled me in closer to him. His eyes now staring into mine. He cupped my chin with his bony fingers and drew my face into his. His thin lips were pressed against mine.

_WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK?_

I pushed him away and wiped my mouth with my sleeve. He looked at me with ire, his green eyes focusing on me with scorn.

"What the FUCK was that?" I growled. I was angry too. I could feel my eyelids twitch.

"Amy," he said, approaching me slowly, like a predator. "That was a foolish mistake."

He raised his hand and struck it against my face with might. I could feel the intense sting as, what felt like, tiny little needles adorned my cheek. I fell to the floor, trembling in pain. I couldn't believe he just hit me.

"I'm going to be gone for a little while," he grimaced as he walked towards the door. "Remember your place, Amy."

He slammed the door shut and locked it. I sat on the floor in fetal position, silently lamenting to myself in agony.


	12. Perspective

I felt someone shake me lightly. I lazily opened my eyes to see my younger sister, standing above my bed with her fist rubbing her eyes.

"Katie? What are you doing up?" I yawned.

"I had a nightmare," she responded. I flicked on the lamp on my nightstand, illuminating the room in a dim light. I saw Katie's sorrowful blue eyes glance down at the floor. Her long, blonde hair covered her sweating face.

"Oh, man," I sat up in my bed. I patted the covers and motioned my sister to sit. "Sit down, tell your sister all about it."

She plopped onto the bed next to me, nearly tearing up.

"What was it about?" I began to rub her back to console her. I half-knew what her nightmare was about. She's been having the same nightmares for about two years now. Even after we moved houses, we could still hear wicked laughter.

"I had a nightmare," she repeated. "That Mary-Ellen came back to kill me."

"Oh, Katie," I gave her a warm hug. The autumn breeze drifted into the room from the open window. I wanted to get up and close it, but I felt Katie was my top priority.

"A-and Slappy was with her," she continued. "But he was different."

"Different? Different how?" I inquired.

"He… he was a lot taller and his eyes were glowing in the dark. He seemed... almost human. He had a knife and Mary-Ellen did too. She... she was cut in half a-and started to inch towards me with the knife. Th-they encircled me and spoke backwards. It was horrible!"

She cowered her head into my nightgown and cried. Her tears dampened my clothes, but I didn't care. I hugged her again and pet her thin, golden locks. She wept silently, but I could feel her whole body move. She shivered roughly.

"It'll be okay, Katie. It'll be okay," I soothed her. Mary-Ellen popped into my head. That ugly piece of shit, with her bulging blue eyes and that scornful smile. A blonde afro that would make Barbie throw up. I hated her. I hated her so much.

* * *

><p>While Slappy was gone, I took it upon myself to get a shower. After all, I've been through a lot in the past day. I could use the blissful warmth of a shower.<p>

I opened the door to the bathroom. The walls were a crimson red, with a marble floor. The bathroom was huge. It had a large shower, big enough for two people. A bathtub, which was surrounded in rose petals and candles. The toilet was a basic toilet. _I wonder what Slappy used that for before he turned human_, I thought. The sink was also adorned with roses and candles. It felt pretty romantic, in an eerie sort of way.

I tore off my sweater and jeans. I slowly unhooked my bra and removed my underwear, when I realized I didn't have a change of clothes. I walked around the suite in my birthday suit and dug through the dresser drawers. I found a whole drawer of clothes set for me. _How creepy…_ I took the clothes and put them in the bathroom with me. I found a towel within the closet in the bathroom.

I hopped into the shower and turned the knob. Hot water poured from the nozzle. It hit my skin smoothly, caressing my body with its warmth. I loved every second of it. I took the shampoo and rubbed it into my soaking hair. The heat of the shower felt so nice, I had almost forgotten what was going on. I was nearly finished with my shower when I heard the door to the suite unlock. I hurried my shower and jumped out. I seized the towel and dried off in a rush.

_KNOCK KNOCK_

"Amy," I heard Slappy call indistinctly from the other side of the bathroom door. I quickly changed into the petite, blue sweater and fresh jeans I found. He started banging on the door.

"Coming!" I huffed. I opened the door. Slappy had his hand behind his back. He looked surprised to see me. I panted from rushing to get decent. My hair was wet and dripping onto the marble. He looked me over, his eyes studying my form. He raised his thick eye brows and mouthed something to himself.

"Here," he weakly smiled. He revealed a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. The flowers were all roses; red, yellow, pink and white. The scent was saccharine. He handed them to me.

"I felt bad about smacking you so harshly," he ran a hand through his hair. "But I meant what I said about remembering your place. When I kiss you, you kiss back. Understood?"

"Why did you kiss me in the first place?" I pondered distractedly, looking at the gorgeous array of flowers in my hand.

"I mean in general. If I tell you to do anything, you just do it. Go with it. That's how it works, _slave_," he murmured. He walked over to the silky bed and sat down. He looked me over once more. "Digging into the dressers, I see."

"Yeah, uh, the clothes fit well," I replied bashfully, pausing briefly. "Wait… you felt _bad_ for hitting me?"

"With human structure comes human emotion. It's a _curse_. Just drop it," He looked down to the floor in remorse. He scowled.

I looked upon him with pity. He wasn't an evil, quipping puppet anymore. He was a human being. An awful, abducting, possessive jerk of a human being, but a human being nonetheless. I made my way over to the bed hesitantly. He may have felt bad for hitting me, but I wouldn't doubt for a second that he would do it again in a heartbeat.

He looked up at me with powerful emeralds, glistening in the candlelight. He looked like a sad, lost puppy. It made me feel almost bad for him… _almost_. I gave him a lopsided smile and sat down next to him, his eyes never leaving my frame.

"Amy," he began. He gently grabbed my hand and interlocked my fingers between his. His hand felt incredibly warm. "Would you be opposed to trying again?"

He crept his face towards mine. I didn't particularly want him to kiss me again, but I would prefer to not get slapped again either. I sighed and let him press his thin lips against mine. They were soft, like satin. I closed my eyes. He put a hand up and put it in my hair. He pulled me closer, and I couldn't help but to kiss back. It was soothing, but also very strange. Kissing my worst nightmare. It was darkly dreamy. His lips tasted sweet, possibly from eating those candies Miriam had given him. My heart fluttered in my chest. He sighed pensively, moving his lips from mine. I opened my eyes to see him staring at me, intense green eyes that seemed to be filled with an unfamiliar bliss.

"Wow," I uttered. I could feel my face growing blood red. I wasn't sure whether I was embarrassed or excited. He shot me a warm smile and stood up. He skipped over to the dresser and pulled out a dress… _is that for me?_

"Change into this," he demanded. He tossed the dress over to the bed and it landed on my lap. I looked down at it. It was crimson cocktail dress, with black sequins festooned on the straps. It had a small, black rose pinned to the breast. _Why?_

"Why?" I raised my eyebrow in befuddlement.

"Did I say you could question my demands? Just do it," he stated as he stepped into the bathroom and slammed the door. I could hear water running.

I looked the dress over once more and shrugged. I removed my comfortable clothing and slipped into the dress. I zipped up the back and walked over to the bulky vanity in the corner by the bathroom. It was old and made from a really dark-colored wood. _I'm sensing a theme here… old and wooden_. I stared at my figure in the mirror. I was skinnier than I thought, or maybe it was just the dress's embrace. My pale skin looked even paler with the combination of the dim light of the room and the red and black dress I was donning.

Slappy opened the bathroom door, his jaw dropped slightly. I saw his eyes glancing me up and down, scanning me.

"Heh, I knew that was a good dress when I picked it out," he chuckled to himself, raising his hand up to his chin.

"You picked this out for me?"

"Not you, in particular," he shrugged.

"You're a bad liar," I giggled. "If it isn't for me, then why is it my size?"

"Ha! Don't act like your tiny, beanpole body isn't uncommon," he laughed, smirking arrogantly. He approached me and grabbed my hips, pulling me towards him. He kissed me again, this time more forcefully.

"Come!" He shouted. He wrapped his gangly arms around mine, carting me towards the door.

"Whoa, whoa, come where?"

"To the lobby," he declared, giggling like he usually does. "Well, more specifically, the banquet hall! I've had a party lined up for my return to Horrorland."

"A… party?" I gulped. I don't want to know what his friends look like.

He escorted me out of the door, down the hall, and into the rickety old elevator. I grasped onto his sleeve as the machine creeped to the ground floor. It made a ding and opened its doors for us. We marched out, only to be greeted by a decrepit mummy. It shuffled to us, its horrifying face and terrifying grunts made me dig my face into Slappy's coat.

"Ah, old friend," Slappy exhaled.

"Old… friend," the mummy rumbled. He stretched out his arms and gave Slappy a hug. Slappy used his free hand to hug him back half-heartedly. It was weird seeing Slappy hugging a putrefying corpse, or anyone at all for that matter.

"Amy, this is Prince Khor-Ru," he nudged me. I slowly lifted my head and whimpered when I looked at the decaying face of the Prince. "Pay your respects."

"Uh, um, hello, your m-majesty," I stuttered. The mummy stared at me, his zombie-like face contorted into a smile.

"Greet..ings," Prince Khor-Ru moaned. "See… you… inside."

The mummy shambled into a corridor and into a set of double doors. When he opened the doors, I could hear music pouring from the room. It stopped once he shut it. That must be where the party is being held.

Slappy sauntered me down the corridor. He stopped abruptly and yowled in pain. He started rubbing his head and growled angrily. I could hear laughter from behind him.

"Garrison," he snarled through gritted teeth. I turned around and glanced down to see one of those green creatures, carrying a slingshot. He was shorter than most of them. He donned a black shirt with a lime green, human-looking design on the front. He was also wearing a pair of khaki shorts, unlike most of the other creatures who went without slacks, and a strangely high-tech blue belt. He donned a backwards red baseball cap, with ginger hair poking out from the hole. His ram-like horns looked peculiar with it.

"Hahaha, welcome back to Horrorland, you piece of—AHH!" Garrison roared as Slappy grabbed him by the horns and lifted him up as if he were as light as a feather. "I hate being touched!"

"Should have thought about that before showing your hideous face around here," Slappy looked into the monster's golden eyes, his own green eyes seemingly glowing in rage. Garrison was about to say something, but quickly changed it to something else.

"Who's the girl?" Garrison questioned, smirking at me. "Your new pet?"

"Mind your business, insignificant Horror," Slappy smiled and dropped him. He fell flat on his ass.

"Fine… but I'll be back, puppet boy!" The monster howled at Slappy as he started walking towards the door. He stuck his pointy, snake-like tongue out and slammed the door shut.

"Horror?" I asked.

"That's the name of their species," Slappy monotonously responded. "They're disgusting creatures. Slithering, filthy _pests_. They run this park, _for now_, hence its name. Avoid that one in particular. He's trouble."

"But isn't Miriam a Horror?"

"Silence," he narrowed his eyes at me.

He pulled me to the banquet hall. He thrust open the doors, the music blaring loudly. The music had a very swing-like feel to it. The room was filled with a vast assortment of monsters. Spirits glided in the air blissfully with the music. A group of Horrors sat at a table, Miriam was one of them. She waved at us. The rest of the tables were filled with a bunch of other spooky creatures. Some of them looked human, but they moved strangely. It was giving me an eerie Uncanny Valley sense. It felt like I walked into a Halloween party, but instead of people in costumes, there were actual monstrosities.

There was a stage in the hall. A gruesome band sat on it. The drum player was a dripping, living pile of mud. The saxophone player was one of those grizzly Horrors. The guitarist was a pale humanoid with fangs protruding from his mouth. The singer was a lanky, living skeleton. He had a purple Mohawk and wore a red scarf. He also wore glasses, but had no ears. His eyes shined red when he saw Slappy enter the room.

"My man!" He crowed in the middle of a song. The band paused and the skeleton leapt from the stage and onto the floor. His voice was smooth, but also raspy.

"Curly," he nodded. He shook the skeleton's bony hand. They laughed in a creepy unison. I watched as the skeleton's jaw moved up in down. It was freaking me the hell out.

"What's new, bonehead?" Slappy joked.

"Nothin' much, dummy," Curly chuckled. I saw him move his glowing red eyes to me. "My, oh my, who's this delightful little blood bag?"

The way he spoke made my hair stand on edge.

"This is Amy," he motioned to me. "Say hello."

"Hi," I whimpered. This was all too frightening. I was overwhelmed by the presence of these horrific entities. It was a _nightmare_.

"Hey, Curly, we gonna start playing again, man?" A bandmember called from the stage impatiently.

"Yeah, yeah, dude," he responded, hopping back up on the stage. The music continued.

Slappy took me to a table that was set up for two. It was the only one that was like that. It was dressed in a white cloth, while the other tables were adorned in black. It had a single candle that flickered with the music. I sat down across from him. A zombie dressed in a tuxedo came up and placed two glasses of champagne in front of us. Slappy's cheeks were rosy, making him appear as innocent as a school boy. He smiled tenderly. His eyes waltzed with the flames as he ogled at me.

"Can you stop staring at me?" I barked at him. His smile quickly faded.

"Did I not tell you to remember your place?" His stare filled with anger.

"You're insane, Slappy," I whispered. "You go from being sweet to being a jackass in mere seconds. What gives?"

"Insane? The voices in my head would say otherwise," he snickered. "Amy, I switch between benevolence and malevolence because YOU don't know how to treat me. Don't forget. I am your master, and if you so much as talk back to me, speak rudely to me, or ask stupid questions, expect anger from me. Just listen to me and you will have no trouble."

I looked down. I don't know how to react to him.

"_I am not your slave_," I muttered under my breath. I tried to focus on the music blaring, but Slappy's stare kept distracting me. I continued to look down, but his stare was enticing me to look him in the face. A shadow engulfed us.

"Well, hiya," Miriam shrilly shouted. She was wearing the same corset as earlier, her breasts still splaying out. She gave me a pat on the head like some sort of dog and gave Slappy a kiss on the forehead. He half-smiled and gave her a kiss on her claw. She blushed dark green.

"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting y'all," she started. "But I wanted to give the little one a gift, if that's okay with you, Firefly."

"That's fine," he looked daggers at me. Miriam lowered herself until she was eye-level with me. She reached within her breasts and pulled out a locket. It was beautiful… despite being stowed away in her bosom.

"Here you go, sugar. My mama gave that to me when I was about your age. I thought you would like it," she said, her serrated teeth bared at me. I was speechless as she wrapped the black locket around my neck.

"Say thank you," Slappy shot me a look.

"T-thank you, Miriam," I stuttered. She gave my forehead a wet, funny-smelling kiss and then skipped away. I looked into the locket. It was a picture of Slappy when he was still a dummy. He was wearing a crown and holding a rose. He was wearing his usual garb, but with a spiked cloak with an upturned collar.

"That was nice of her," I beamed, closing the locket.

"She is a kind-hearted soul. She isn't meant to be in Horrorland," he remarked remorsefully.

"Why does she have such a fixation with you then, Slappy?"

"Well, it's a long story that I'd rather not get into right now. Let's just say I rescued her from an untimely fate."

"You? Rescuing someone?" I scoffed at the idea.

"I guess I had human sentiments, even in my former vessel," he shrugged as he took a sip from his glass. He coughed and made a distasteful face. He must not like champagne. His words took me by surprise. It would seem that this "curse" of emotion had always been with him, before he was human. It's funny how fast someone's perspectives on someone can change...

* * *

><p><strong>such a long chapter xC<strong>

**if anyone is curious, Garrison ("Gary") is an OC of mine. you can read more about him here: art/Dunce-487815472**


	13. I Don't Know How to Dance

The party went on. The music switched between genres, ranging from swing to rock, then to house music and slow music. The ghoulies and ghosties alike danced gleefully on the dance floor. Zombies often lost their limbs as they shuffled to the sound, but picked them up and continued their scuffle. The spirits hovered above the crowd, swirling to the beat of the music. The other beasties bopped and boogied, their dance moves shifting with the genres of the melody.

Slappy had been quiet for a majority of the night. It felt like his eyes never left my face. He seemed sorrowful… _lonely_. He was greeted by a few of his monstrous friends and mingled slightly, but would always go back to sitting quietly. _I thought this was his party_. The music changed from the upbeat tune to a slow, soothing harmony. Slappy stood up.

"Would you care to dance?" He sighed heavily. I looked up at him. He held out a hand for me to join him. I figured I might as well, lest I get slapped again. I took his hand and he skipped me over to the dance floor.

"I don't know how to dance," I admitted. I've never been to a school prom, and I was too mortified to go to the Save the Rainforest dance, since Slappy's destruction when we first met was a few days before it. I blushed, as we reached the center of the dance floor. The lights were incredibly dim.

"That's fine, I won't tell anyone," he whispered with a sneer. He took my hand and placed his on my hip. "Put your hand on my shoulder."

I did as he said. Still holding my hand, he interlocked our fingers. We started to sway with the pacifying melody.

"Now, shuffle your feet like so," he motioned. He took one minor step to the left, and one to the right. "Rinse and repeat."

I followed his direction, and began to dance with the devil. I looked at him and he looked at me. We both smiled at each other. This felt so wrong. _But so right._

I rested my head on his shoulder. He rubbed small circles in my knuckles. This night has been going on forever. I just want to rest. I closed my eyes and imagined myself dancing to this music alone, in my bedroom, as usual. I was always pretending to be at prom with the other girls and boys. Fantasizing that I was dancing with the man of my dreams, my high school sweetheart, and my future husband. It felt so real, this fantasy. _Perhaps… because it finally was_. I let the music take over my body, as I swayed naturally. I could feel Slappy's warmth in front of me, his heart thudding softly. His heartbeat was synced with mine. It was an interesting, yet satisfying sensation. I finally felt comfortable.

The music shifted from the slow tune to a bubblier, electro jingle. Slappy pulled me off of the dance floor and back to our seats. _And just when_ _I was getting used to this._

"The party will be over soon, Amy," he calmly stated. "I know that you must be utterly exhausted."

"How could you tell?"

"Oh, you know, from the way that you started drooling on my jacket and snoring like a man," he snickered. He was still holding my hand from across the table. He yawned, he must be tired too. I yawned almost immediately after him.

"Damn you," I said through my yawn. "Don't you know that yawning is contagious?"

I laughed drowsily, only to have him giggle after me.

"Laughing is too," he jeered, grasping my hand. "You know, Amy… I've had my eye on you long after Dennis destroyed me."

"Huh?" His comment came out of left field, I wasn't sure how to react.

"Whenever I was back in Horrorland I would visit a woman named Madame Doom, a fortune teller dummy scattered in the park. I would always go to her and ask to see how you were doing. She would always mock me. She would always say 'you are a fool for what you seek, don't you know she believes you are a freak?' and things of that nature. But she would give me what I want anyway… but I would always get a strange feeling when she showed you in her crystal ball. I couldn't describe the feeling, but it made me feel… _content_," he confessed. His eyes fixated on mine. The dimming glow of the candle made his eyes look incredibly sorrowful. He really did have some sort of feeling… _for me_. Of all of the people he's probably tried to enslave in his decades, even centuries, of existence and I'm the one he catches feelings for. That's…_sweet_? _I guess_?

The music cut out, causing the monsters to groan in unison.

"Alright, boils and ghouls," Curly announced. The crowd booed. I wasn't sure if it was because of the horrible pun or because the music stopped. "That's the show! Everyone put your claws and paws together for our main dummy… I mean, _man_, Slappy!"

The crowd clapped vigorously, whistling and howling… _especially the werewolves_. Slappy smirked and stood up. He took a bow and thanked everyone for coming out, you know, hamming it up as usual. I found it odd that he spent most of the night with me instead of associating with his friends. The monsters cheered for him, so he must be important to them in some way. I clapped for him too.

He hoisted me from my chair suddenly. He wrapped his slender arms around mine and began to dance me to the doors. The other monsters looked at me, glaring like I was a meal that was getting away. I could hear them laugh faintly.

"Did you have a good night?" Slappy asked happily, chaperoning me out of the doors.

"It was nice," I admitted. It was a pretty nice time, despite being incredibly uncomfortable around literal freaks of nature. I yawned. I really could use some sleep.

Slappy and I walked into the elevator. Curly followed us in.

"Did ya like the show? The band and I have been working hard to put this on for you, dude," he cackled. His smooth, yet raspy voice chilled me.

"It was a spectacle," Slappy laughed. "What's the name of your band now? You've changed it so many times!"

"We're the 'Screamer Dreamers,'" Curly paused. "At least, I think."

"That's… really awful."

"Yeah, well, whatever. As long as our music kicked ass!" The skeleton and the dummy laughed together. It was like seeing two brothers reunite after not seeing each other for years. It was almost endearing. Almost. "What did you think of it, Amy?"

"Huh?" I was caught off guard slightly. "Oh! I like how you did a bunch of different genres. It was cool."

"Thank ya," his bony face curved into a smile. "If I had a hat, I would tip it!"

All I could do was give a faint, fake chuckle. I wasn't in the mood for this kind of thing. The elevator dinged as we reached the 13th floor. Curly waved goodbye and shuffled into his room. _Great, that bag of bones is on the same floor_. I followed Slappy as he unlocked the door to the suite. He immediately started to take off his jacket.

"Do you have pajamas I could wear?" I questioned weakly. He looked at me and nodded. He pointed to the dresser where I pulled out my outfit from earlier. I rustled through the drawer and found a purple nightgown. I scurried into the bathroom to change. I pulled off the red dress. No matter how well they fit, they will always feel uncomfortable on me. I slipped on the nightgown, still wearing the locket from Miriam, and walked outside. Slappy was still undressing. I felt really creepy just watching him remove his undershirt. His back was covered in freckles and what looked like a long scar riding along his spine. I wanted to ask why it was there, but I figured it would be rude. He turned around to me and noticed me staring.

"What are you gawking at?" He snarled. His chest was painted in freckles as well. He had a tiny amount of chest hair that matched his wavy red hair. _Damn._

"You're not gonna… like, get _naked_ are you?"

"No… and even if I were, it's MY suite. I can do whatever the hell I want," he growled condescendingly. _Geez, he sure is moody_. I walked over to the bed and tried to lay down, only to have Slappy wave his slim finger at me. "Ah, ah. _You_ sleep on the floor."

"What?!" I cried in protest.

"Slaves sleep on the floor," he yawned, unbuckling his belt.

"B-but, it's cold… and this nightgown is incredibly thin and I'll… I'll freeze to death!" I blubbered. The nightgown wasn't that thin, but I didn't want to sleep on the hard, wooden floor with nothing more than the nightgown and the beastly face of the animal skin rug. Slappy clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he muttered. "But only for tonight."

I gave him a wide smile and crawled into the silky comforter. The bed was so comfortable, it felt like I was laying on a cloud. I saw Slappy pace over to the front door and hit a switch. The candles blew out. _How weird._ He slipped into the covers next to me. He was almost entirely bare, with only a pair of boxers on. He let out a sigh and turned to face me. I could see his eyes glistening in the moonlight that peered through the curtains of the window. They shined like emeralds. He leaned in closer to me. I could feel his warmth emanate from him. He closed his bright green eyes and gave me a soft kiss. I couldn't help but kiss back. He broke the kiss abruptly.

"Goodnight," he whispered. "No more nightmares about me, alright?"

"Wait, how did you know that I've been having nightmares about you?"

"Because after something as traumatizing as what you've been through happens, it's bound to give recurring nightmares," he responded quietly. "Plus, Madame Doom told me."

"I don't think I'll have to worry about nightmares about you anymore," I exhaled wearily.

"Heh, why? Because they'll be wet dreams now?" He laughed to himself, his white teeth glowing as he smiled.

"No!" I shouted, my face as red as an apple. "It's just that, after seeing all of those monsters, I have more things to have nightmares about."

"I see," he sneered.

"Oh, hey, Slappy… what happened to Jimmy?" I almost forgot about Jimmy. I haven't seen him since we first got here.

"I told him to go home," he shrugged. "Since I have you as a slave, I don't need him right now."

"Can you please not call me that?"

"But that's what you are, Amy. Maybe one day, you will be more," Slappy giggled. He gave me a kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight… _slave_."

"Goodnight… _jerk_," I mumbled and closed my eyes. I could still feel his warmth around me. I eventually faded into the fathoms of my mind. All I could think about was how awful tomorrow would be. If today was bad? I could only imagine tomorrow would be worse.


	14. One Day at Horrorland

**I'm trying to develop my characters a bit more xDD**

* * *

><p>I opened my eyes slowly. The sun poured into the room through the red curtains, bathing the room in crimson. I awoke to Slappy's arms sprawled over me. I turned around to face him. He snored loudly, droplets of drool inching its way from his mouth to the bed. His eyes twitched from the inside of his eyelids. His hair was unruly from his slumber, sticking to his pillow like glue. He looked so peaceful.<p>

His snoring stopped abruptly. He let out a long groan and wiped the slobber from his mouth. He slowly opened his eyes. He rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"Oh, Amy. It's good to see that you're awake," he stated through his yawns, sitting up. He cracked his back and then his neck. The cracking sound echoed through the room. It gave me a chill, I hated that sound.

"I woke up before you," I replied sleepily. His yawning was contagious.

"Well, get up and get around," he demanded. Throwing the covers off of him and leaping onto the floor. "Today is a busy day."

"Busy?"

"Well, for me," he retorted, stretching his skinny arms into the air. He grabbed the comb sitting on his nightstand and began to reshape his hair to its usual look. He walked over to the closet next to the bed and pulled out a fresh tuxedo. _Is that all he owns? _He slowly began to change into his attire. "Are you going to get up any time soon, lazy bones? You're wastin' daylight."

I groaned and shuffled out of bed. I moved my neck side to side, causing it to make a disgusting cracking noise. I slowly made my way to the dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans, a dark green sweater, underwear and some socks. I slipped into the bathroom and tore off the nightgown. Stepping into the shower, I pondered what Slappy meant by it would be a busy day for him. I decided to shrug the thought off and turn on the hot water. I bathed quickly, cleaning off the filth from last night. _Disgusting monsters… bumping into me and touching me. Yuck._ Turning the water off, I pulled the towel from my last shower off of the rack to the side.

I patted my face down with the towel and dried off the rest of my dripping skin. Slappy barged into the bathroom without warning. His face immediately turned into a beat red. His pupils dilated severely, as he eyed me up and down. I could only assume that my face was the same way. I quickly wrapped the towel around my naked body. I could feel my eyes twitching nervously, all I wanted to say was "_GET THE FUCK OUT," _but knowing him, he would react violently. He gulped and backed out of the bathroom. His teeth chattered anxiously.

"Amy," he stuttered. "I… I am so sorry." He closed his eyes and continued to shuffle out of the room, closing the door as he exited. I squealed, irritated and embarrassed. I've never been too proud of my form and for him to see it raw made me feel uncomfortable.

I changed into my outfit, still red from being seen in my birthday suit. I opened the door to see Slappy at the front door. He was signing something on a clipboard. He handed it back and dragged in a suitcase. It must be the case he was stationed in when I received him all those years ago. I watched as he opened it. The interior still read SLAPPY, but it had been slightly torn from age.

"Something to say, Amy?" Slappy asked. I forgot I was staring.

"Oh," I stammered. "No, not really… okay, maybe. What's in the case?"

"Mind your business," he crooned. "I'm only kidding, come over and have a look for yourself."

I walked over to him and the case. It was filled with books and clothes. A small lighter sat on the top of the messy array of clothes. Among the clutter, I spotted the musty old book that Mr. Mortman gave me. I nearly forgot about that book. I tried to reach for it, but Slappy slapped my hand away.

"Ah, ah," he mumbled, grabbing the book and placing it in his jacket. "That's not for you."

He slid the suitcase under the bed. He ransacked through the closet and pulled out a jacket and a bag. He handed the two to me.

"What's this for?" I asked snidely. I could see his patience already beginning to thin.

"It's cold outside, so I'm lending you this jacket," he answered calmly. "As for the bag, it is full of items for your protection."

"Protection?"

"Well, I was thinking that since I have many errands to run today, I would give you my permission to explore Horrorland," he explained.

"A-alone?!" I exclaimed. I didn't want to wander this scary place alone.

"Yes," he said bluntly. "The bag is full of things you may need. A wooden cross that doubles as a stake for vampires, a silver crucifix for the werewolves and things like that… oh, and if you are burdened or threatened by a horror, simply give 'em a little pinch and they'll blow up like a popped balloon."

"Pinch them?" I made little pinching motions with my fingers.

"Yep, pinch their scaly, green skin," he chuckled, pinching me lightly as a demonstration. I rubbed my arm where he pinched me and grimaced. He hurried me out of the door and shut it behind him. He locked it with precaution. "Oh, I forgot to mention, I gave you some tokens in the bag as well. In case boredom strikes you and you wish to ride one of the fabulous attractions in this wretched park."

"Aren't they dangerous?" I quivered my lip.

"As I said," he started. "In case of boredom."

We staggered into the elevator and waited patiently for it to bring us down. I couldn't help but think about what today would bring. Exploring Horrorland? By myself? I could get hurt, or attacked… _or worse._ What kind of chores did Slappy have to do anyway? Were they something to spite me? Or something to help him? _Or both_? Why couldn't I come with him? What was he hiding? So many questions flooded my mind like the aftermath of a hurricane. He latched onto my arm without warning, which made me jump slightly. The elevator reached the lobby and we strutted out.

Miriam was sitting at the front desk, speaking to another Horror. She gave us a wave. I waved back and so did Slappy. He flung open the big doors of the Stagger Inn, the sunlight smoldering brightly, stinging my eyes. We walked down the cobblestone steps.

"Amy, I want you to be careful," Slappy said with authority, tightening his grip on my arm.

"Are you sure that I shouldn't bring a chaperone or something? What if a monster tries to attack me?"

"I gave you those items for a reason," he smirked as we reached the final step. "Besides, with the intensity of the sun today, it is doubtful that many monsters are out and about, other than the Horrors."

"Well, okay," I looked down, nervous about my exploration.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you, so don't worry your pretty little head too much," he chuckled. He patted my head and ruffled my hair. I blushed slightly. "Just don't talk to any handsome monsters or humans you may happen upon while on your stroll."

"Why?" I asked sarcastically.

"Because I'll get_ incredibly_ jealous," he grinned, his eyebrows furrowed. He raised an eyebrow at him. "And I don't think you'd like to see my envious side."

"Yeah, alright," I replied.

"Be back to the Stagger Inn by 5 o'clock and no later. I don't want you to get hurt," he pointed to the enormous clock tower stationed in the center of the park. He leaned down and gave me a light kiss. He pushed me to the right as he strode left. _What a jackass_.

* * *

><p>I continued to walk along a dirt road. There were a lot of children at the park today. Most of which were crying or clasped onto their mothers and fathers tightly. Horrors of all sizes were parading about, roaring at the children to scare them. While on the flipside, some Horrors were donning silly costumes, sticking their snake-like tongues out and putting their thumbs to their temples, in an attempt to cheer up the kids. It was a strange sight. I stared at them as I wandered. I wasn't paying attention, when all of a sudden I felt a slender, whip-like object brush past my leg, causing me to trip and fall flat on my face. I could hear a familiar laughter.<p>

"Watch where you're goin', blood bag!" It was that little dweeb Garrison. He halted the skateboard he was riding to call me a blood bag. For some reason, he reminded me of Jed. Always bothering and pestering me.

"Slappy told me to avoid you," I told him directly.

"That sack of termites?" Garrison chortled. He had a very young-sounding voice. Almost prepubescent. He must not have hit his Horror puberty yet. "He doesn't know as much as he boasts."

"You're trouble," I sneered as I started to hoist myself from the ground.

"Hey, listen, I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry for tripping you a-and stuff," Garrison stuttered, his kinder side emerging. He blushed a dark green and put his hand behind his head. He bowed his head in apology. "Listen, I don't think that I've ever properly introduced myself. My name is Garrison Gruesugh, but you can call me Gary. What's your name?"

"Amy," I bluntly stated. My eyes narrowed at him. I looked at his belt and noticed how strange it looked. It was bright blue, not going with his color scheme at all. It had a futuristic screen where the buckle should be. "What kind of belt is that?"

"Oh, my belt? It's… uh. It's my own invention," he admitted sheepishly. He seemed embarrassed.

"Invention? What does it do that other belts don't?"

"Look and learn, kiddo," he winked, grinning ecstatically. He played with the screen on his belt. The icons in the center changed as he flicked through the options. He landed on an icon that resembled a human shape. He slammed the belt's screen down hard. A light engulfed him.

The light blinded me. I couldn't see the change, but when the light dissipated, Gary was replaced by a young boy, about my height, but slightly younger. He was still wearing the same clothes as he was before his transformation. He was incredibly pale, with barely visible freckles on his cheeks. His nose was a small mosquito bite and his eyebrows were thin. His eyes were still a glowing yellow-color, which somehow complemented his spiky auburn hair.

"THAT'S what it does," he cried out. His voice was slightly deeper, but still retained that boyish tone. That was an amazing transformation. Unlike Slappy's, I didn't get to see it happen. Good thing too, I could only imagine how gross it was.

"That's incredible, Gary!" I shouted. "Why were you so embarrassed to say you invented it?

"Well, we Horrors aren't supposed to be 'smart.' It's cool though, right?" He beamed. He had the same personality of Jed, only a lot smarter.

A sudden flash of my family entered my mind. I missed them a lot and I wondered how badly they were worrying about me. I wondered if Jed cared or if Sarah had heard. I wondered if Margo would be upset or if Jillian had even noticed. Then I remembered Slappy talking about Madame Doom.

"Hey, Gary," I began. He looked at me curiously. "Do you know where I can find Madame Doom?"

"Huh? That creepy old thing? Yeah, I know where she is. Why?"

"Do you think you could take me to her?"

"I guess," he grumbled. "But why?"

"Because I said so," I snarled. I wasn't in the mood to give him an answer. Perhaps Slappy was rubbing off on me.

"Fine, geez," he rolled his big yellow eyes and hopped onto his skateboard. He slowly began to roll down the path. "Follow me."

I followed him through many curvy roads and past many Horrors and humans. The Horrors looked displeased to see Gary in this form, and scowled angrily as he zoomed past them. _I wonder if he's hated throughout the entirety of Horrorland_. It took a while to get where we needed to be. We winded down the walkway, the sky getting dark the further into the park we went, when I spotted an old-timey fortune teller machine on the side. Gary stopped his skateboard, causing me to bump into him. I didn't know he was going to stop so suddenly.

"Here she is," Gary said, pointing to the machine. Encased in the machine was an aged woman, silky yet wild black hair covered her head with a gypsy-esque purple headband keeping it in place. She was a dummy, sort of like Slappy, with a mechanical mouth to speak with. Her eyes glowed yellow as she stared at the crystal ball under her palms. She was draped in a purple cloth, giving her a mystical appearance. Her machine looked like it took those tokens Slappy gave me. I pulled one out of the bag and slipped it inside the slot, causing her eyes to shine and her head to face me.

"Good morrow, young lady and Horror of green, what can I show you that you may not have already seen?" She rhymed poorly.

"Uh, hello," I faltered. "I wanted to see how my family is doing. I want to know how Mom, Dad, Sarah and Jed are. Can you show me?"

"Look into my crystal ball, my dear and soon your wish will become clear."

The crystal ball's cloudy insides divided into clarity. I could see my Mom, crying. She seemed to be on the phone with somebody. My Dad sat next to her, rubbing small circles into her back. He looked genuinely upset. I couldn't hear what my mom was saying, but I knew it wasn't good. The crystal ball shifted its sights on Jed, who was sitting in his room. He sat on his bed, looking directly to the ceiling. His eyes grew misty and he began to cry quietly to himself. The crystal ball then showed Sarah, who was sitting in her dorm room on the phone. Perhaps it was Mom. She was seated next to a pale young man with blonde hair. He comforted her. I felt so overwhelmed by the emotions everyone was feeling that I started to cry. I could see Gary's reflection in the glass around Madame Doom. He was sticking his tongue out in disgust, making a puking motion.

"Could… could I see Margo and Jillian as well?" I wiped my tears from my face.

"One more token you must pay, to see your friends on this day."

I groaned and pulled out another token. I slid it into the slot and the crystal ball emitted the image of Margo, sleeping side by side with Shane. Her dad walked into the room, waking her up. He told her something, causing her to jolt out of bed in confusion. She hugged her dad, who was tearing up slightly. The crystal ball then shifted to Jillian. She was talking with Harrison about something. A younger girl sat beside her. They all looked determined. I wonder why.

The crystal ball became cloudy and Madame Doom's eyes dimmed. She deactivated rather quickly. Gary pulled my sweater and pointed at the clock tower. It was nearly 5 o'clock and I had no idea where we were. _Slappy's going to kill me_. We rushed down the winding paths and roads, hustling to make it to the Stagger Inn in time.

"If Slappy sees you with me, he won't be very happy," Gary huffed as he skated down the road. He pushed me towards the Inn and rolled off. "See you later, Amygator!"

I darted towards the steps. The grinning faces of the Horror statues welcomed me as I walked up the staircase. I panted as I walked into the doors of the Inn. I was greeted by the smiling face of Miriam.

"Hey, sugar!"

"Hi, Miriam," I wheezed, trying to catch my breath. "Is Slappy here?"

"No, I didn't see him come in," she looked confused as to why I was panting and wheezing. When I was younger, I had bad asthma. As I grew older, it lessened, but it's still hard for me to catch my breath. I laid down on the couch next to the elevator to try and breathe. It felt soothing to just lay down. It was actually quite relaxing. I closed my eyes and waited for Slappy to come back.

* * *

><p>"Harrison, it's Jillian. Do you think you could come over today? I gotta talk to you about something," I inquired to Harrison over the house phone, sitting at the kitchen sipping iced tea.<p>

"Uh, yeah, sure. What's up?" He mumbled. He sounded like he had food in his mouth, as usual.

"I just want to talk to you about this feeling I have," I responded with a sigh. "Just come over ASAP, buddy."

"Alright, Jillian," he replied. I ended the phone call and scratched my head. I was beginning to get a strange feeling in my gut. A familiar, horrible feeling. It felt like someone was in trouble. That someone was at the hand of Slappy. _That Slappy had returned_. I'm not sure why I got this feeling, but it washed over me with immense force. I took my iced tea and made my way to the living room. I plopped onto the couch, kicking my feet up in relaxation. Dad's birdhouse collection filled the house like a menagerie. He set the world record, but decided to flood the house with them instead of sell them. Why? I'll never know.

"Jillian?" I heard Katie call from the hallway.

"Yeah, Katie?" I called back.

"Can I hang out with you?" She asked with her hands placed firmly in front of her.

"Yeah, sure sis," I placed my feet to the ground and let her sit next to me. I turned on the television and all that was there was static. I rolled my eyes and shut it off. Piece of junk.

I heard the doorbell ring. It must be Harrison. I opened it and the chubby boy greeted me with a smirk. He strolled into the house in the normal best friend fashion and sat in my spot on the couch. I gave him a cold stare and he pointed to the chair next to the couch. I plopped next to him.

"Okay, so, what's this feeling you've been getting? Don't tell me it's about some boy or girl you like or something," Harrison chuckled with a scoff.

"Do you remember Slappy?" I stated with a blank face. Katie looked to the side.

"You mean that evil dummy whose spirit fucking possessed me? How could I _fucking_ forget, Jillian?" Harrison has a foul mouth.

"Well, I think… he may be back," I stammered. Katie and Harrison both looked at me like I had two heads.

"But… we destroyed him, remember?" Harrison said. "We got his body-snatching little ass out of my body and exercised him. His body was shredded to a million pieces. There is absolutely no way!"

"I know it sounds crazy, but I think he's back and I think he may have someone," I struggled to get my words out. It was so hard to put this type of thing to words.

"Like who?" Katie chimed in.

"I-I don't know!" I shouted. The doorbell rang abruptly. I got up to see who it was. Margo stood in front of the door. I opened it for her. "Hey, Margo!"

"Hey, Jillian!" Margo gave me a hug. "Listen, have you seen Amy? My dad told me her parents called looking for her, but she's nowhere to be found."

I looked at her with awe. Did Slappy kidnap Amy? That would only make sense. After hearing what Margo told me about what happened between Amy and her little sister, the puzzle pieces started falling into place.

"Uh, no, but if I see her, I'll shoot you a call," I retorted with a grin.

"Alright," Margo shrugged, walking away from the door. I slammed it shut.

"Amy!" I cried.

"What?" Harrison inquired.

"Who?" Katie turned her head to the side in confusion.

"I think Slappy has Amy… you know, Harrison, the girl from Margo's party? The one who I told you hurt Margo's sister with a freaking _dummy_?" I started to get frantic. Slappy must be behind Amy's disappearance.

"But how do we go about finding her anyway? If Slappy really IS back, how can we locate him?" Harrison's face grew with concern.

"I don't know," I admitted. The options were too little, even nonexistent.

"What about Jimmy O'James? He could help," Katie beamed, happy to have come up with something.

"Katie, you're a genius. Come on guys, we got a dummy to find," I shouted, snagging my coat and car keys as the three of us hustled out of the door.

_Don't worry, Amy._

_We're coming._

* * *

><p><strong>I made Jillian bisexual because why not. <strong>_  
><em>

**Also, I love this whole two perspectives thing. If it bothers anyone, just let me know.**


	15. A Bad Man

**To Personel Change: there was no sex scene xDD ...yet. also, since you told me to update, here it is~**

**To stardustbreath: thank you so much :333**

* * *

><p>I could feel a light tap on my shoulder. My eyes were sealed tight. I must have dozed off on the couch. I wonder how long I was out. The light tap turned into a light shove, and then to a hard shake. I groaned and opened my eyes to see Slappy standing at the side of the couch.<p>

"Finally, you're awake," he growled. I forgot how raspy his voice could be. "Get up."

I groggily moved myself up from the couch, stretching my limbs. It felt pretty good. He pulled me off of the couch by my raised arm. We began to walk to the front doors.

"Whoa, where are we going?" I stuttered sleepily.

"My errands are finished, so I figured I would treat you and we could go around Horrorland together, since you were so frightened to go alone earlier. Perhaps ride a few rides. Did you use any of the tokens I gave you?"

"Only two," I replied. I hope he doesn't know what I used them for.

"Excellent," he smirked. He dragged me out of the doors and down the stairs. It felt like earlier when he hauled me down the steps, only the sun was beginning to set and more monsters populated the park. _Why was it so dark when I was heading back to the Inn, yet the sun is just setting now? This place makes no sense._

He and I began to stroll along Horrorland. I started to remember the winding roads from my walk earlier. They all led to different parts of the park. I could hear screams pouring out of Vampire Village to the left, and monsters roaring harshly from Werewolf Village to the right. I don't really want to experience either of those villages first hand.

I looked up and noticed that Slappy was pulling me in the direction of an enormous Ferris Wheel. The lights on it glowed and seemed to make the entire park brighter. The strange thing is, I didn't notice it there earlier. Probably because I went the opposite way? I don't know anymore.

We approached the wheel. A fat Horror with a clown costume was taking tokens. He pulled two from his coat pocket and handed them to the Horror. We sat into uncomfortable, black cart that seemed to shake more than it should. I sat across from him. I didn't like Ferris Wheels. Mostly because I'm afraid of heights. I didn't want to tell Slappy that, though. I feared him above all else.

The Ferris Wheel began to move, lifting us up in a clockwise motion. I started to feel sick.

"So," Slappy chimed in. "How was your day, Amy?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I sighed, shutting my eyes to keep me from seeing the ground.

"Alright, fine," he rolled his eyes. "My day was fine, in case you were wondering."

The ride was quiet. The machine whirred as it circled around. The cart wiggled slightly as it moved. It made me want to puke. I looked up at Slappy every now and again, his eyes focused outside. His arms were crossed and he had a perturbed look on his face. _What was his problem?_ His personality is all over the place. I don't think I could understand him if I tried.

The cart moved until it got to the top. We were at the highest point. The glowing full moon bathing us in its soft yellow light. Slappy slid himself to the other side of the cart and next to me. There wasn't much room. He put his arm around me, like an adolescent on his first date. I wasn't sure how to take this.

"You know, Amy," he began. "I lied to you when I told you I didn't give you the tickets to my show."

_I knew it. _

**"**Oh," I mumbled, still looking down.

"Well, I had Jimmy give them to you. But it was my idea," he exhaled.

"But why?" I looked up at him, his intense green eyes staring at me. They looked so lovely in the moon's radiance.

"I told you. I've been keeping track of you," he indicated. "Speaking of which, I saw that you were keeping track of your family and friends as well."

I turned a bright red. _Please don't be mad_, I kept repeating in my head.

"I-I'm sorry, I—," he cut me off.

"You don't need to explain anything," he placed his fingers on my lips as a way of telling me to be quiet. "I'm not angry at you."

I let out a relieved sigh and slinked into his arm. He was warm on this chilly night.

"But anyway, as I was saying… I wanted to see you in person again. Every time I saw you in Madame Doom's crystal ball, I couldn't help but feel a certain way. I won't lie, I've kept track of every past slave, but you were the only one who made me feel content," he continued. He told me all of this earlier, so I'm not sure what the point of repeating was. "Maybe a little more than content."

"What do you mean?"

"Do I gotta explain everything?" Slappy roared. His outbursts were starting to annoy me. "I mean, that you gave me a feeling you would describe as… _happy_. It was a fuzzy kind of happy, like a sweet candy coated in a slimy hairball."

"Gross," I commented. He chuckled.

"Yeah, I know!" He continued to laugh his old, maniacal laugh. "I could never describe the feeling until I gazed upon you in person."

He looked at me delightfully, smiling with his thin lips. They still had a tint of red to them. I noticed something off about his face in the moonlight. It looked as though it were cracking, ever so slightly. Like a timeworn, porcelain doll. It gave him a more demented and older look. He already appeared to be around 30 as a human, but this odd cracking made him look even more elder. Despite his strange appearance, I decided to give him an unexpected kiss. He made a surprised sound, but returned the peck. He and I both giggled together in harmony.

"I care about you, Amy," he purred, stroking my hair gently. "Do you care about me?"

"Yes," I lied. I hope he didn't see through my lie.

"Good," Slappy declared. "When we return back to the suite, I have a surprise for you."

"What is it?"

"That would ruin the surprise," he bopped my nose with his index finger. He continued to caress my hair as I snuggled up into him. As much as I feared him, I could sense that he truly cared about me. _I think I trust him._

* * *

><p>"Do you even remember where this Jimmy O'James creep lives?" Harrison chimed in from the passenger seat. He switched the station from an awful country song to a rock song.<p>

"Yeah," I responded, focusing on the road. "You seem to forget I have a keen sense of direction. I can remember where to go even in the back seat of a damn cab a few years ago."

"Does he still live there?" Katie asked from the back.

"I think so," I called back to her. We were nearly to Jimmy's home. It was less of a home and more of an abandoned warehouse. The first and last time I went was to send Slappy back to him, only to find out that Slappy had been home with Katie and Harrison the whole time. "We're about to find out."

I pulled up to the warehouse. Two cars sat in the lot beside it. An old, beat-up hearse-like vehicle and a black Camaro. We hopped out of the car and I locked it as we stepped towards the door. It was already ajar, so we waltzed right in. It was as dingy and decrepit as the last time I was hear. The hallway was dark and the light was flickering. It felt like a horror movie. The enormous gate opened, allowing us to enter the main part of the warehouse.

"_You can't let this happen to her! Jimmy, please! You've got to tell me where you took her!_" I could hear a distressed woman shouting deeper into the warehouse. There was a dim light that led us to the argument.

"_I'm afraid I can't help you, Sarah_," I overheard Jimmy's voice from a distance. He sounded much more monotone than I remember. We inched closer to the quarrel.

"I'm scared," Katie whispered.

"Me too," Harrison whined. "Let's just go."

"No, we're already here, don't be a baby!" I cried. It echoed.

"_Who's there?_" The feminine voice called back. "_I said who's there?!_"

"Relax, we're just here to see Jimmy," I calmly retorted. I tiptoed over to her and Jimmy, but they emerged from the shadows instead. A young man was with them.

"Jillian Zinnman," Jimmy said blankly, a hideous smile stuck on his face. "Good to see you again."

"Hi… Jimmy," I smirked. He looked different. His eyes were a fluorescent green and spiraled in a hypnotic trance. "Are… you okay, Jimmy?"

"I feel… great," he laughed. "How about you?"

"Jimmy, have you seen Amy Kra-," I was interrupted by the tall, brunette girl.

"Amy Kramer?!" She cried, tears streaming down her cheek. "That's who I'm looking for, she's my sister!"

"She's my friend," I replied. "I know who took her."

"_Slappy_," she whimpered. "I _know_ he has her."

I looked at the girl. Her face was red and wet from crying. She wasn't joking. Slappy had her. There's no denying it now.

"Jimmy, where did he take her?" I approached him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he smiled, his eyelid twitched.

"You're lying," Katie screamed. "You've been working with him again, I saw the posters at school!"

Jimmy stood expressionless. His eyes flashed with a hint of rage.

"Just tell us," I demanded. He bared his teeth and started to rush towards me. He snarled and slammed me to the floor. I let out a sound of disbelief. Harrison and the insipid young man tried to grab him off of me, but he was too resilient. He pushed them aside effortlessly.

"_I WILL NOT LET YOU HARM MASTER_," Jimmy hissed, his black hair in a crazed frizz. His eyes intensified, glowing angrily as they dug into my pools of blue. He held me down by one hand, his other hand on my throat. He tried to choke me. I coughed and gagged as his hand enveloped my throat. Slipping in and out of consciousness, I smacked him with all of my might across the face with my free hand. The sound echoed through the warehouse. Jimmy looked stupefied. He released his vice grip and stood up. I hacked and held my throat. _Man that hurt_.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his head. Once he opened his eyes, I could see that they were back to their original dark blue. He saw me choking and lifted me up, a worried look on his face.

"Jillian?!" He gave me a large hug, quivering in fear. "Did… did I do that to you?"

"Yeah, you did!" Katie called. She hurried over to me and stood next by my side.

"What happened to you, Jimmy?" I questioned.

"Slappy," he started. "He-he cast a spell on me. He hypnotized me so that I would kidnap that poor girl."

"Why?! Why does he want her?" I grabbed his shoulders and began to violently shake him.

"I… I don't know. But it can't be good," he retorted, beginning to tear up. His face was a pastel red. "You need to find him and get Amy back before it's too late."

"Do you remember where you took them?" I responded quickly.

"I think… I think it was called _Horrorland_," the former ventriloquist recalled. I saw the pale young man lift up his head. He wore a hat that hid his face. His blonde hair shifted as he looked up at Jimmy.

"That's a _dreadful _place," he stated emotionlessly. His cold blue eyes flickered with the lights.

"We have to save her," the brunette girl said.

"Do you know where it is?" I asked the blonde fellow, releasing Jimmy from my grasp.

"Yeah," he started. "I'll lead us there."

"Great," I grinned to the boy. I looked to Jimmy, whose face was still a shade of crimson. "Thanks, Jimmy."

"Go!" He shouted, flapping his hands in a frantic motion towards the gate. The five of us began to hurry towards the exit. "Save Amy from Slappy before anything bad happens to her… he's a_ bad _man."

* * *

><p><strong>I kiiiinda pulled the idea of that last line from <em>The Haunting Hour's<em> "Really You" _ both involve killer dolls sooo**

**who is that blonde boy? hmMMMM**


	16. Unhappy Birthday

I admittedly didn't know what to expect. A surprise for me? What could it be? I wondered if it was something horrible or nice. His pattern of kindness and being a fantastic ass were incredibly sporadic. It could be a box full of spiders instead of chocolate… or spider-filled chocolates. Or maybe it was an apple filled with razor blades. Or maybe it's a batwing pie. I don't even know.

We walked down the dirt paths of Horrorland, passing monsters of all kinds. Really gruesome vampires and werewolves, scaly lizard people, and more of those Horrors. We came up to a small bridge which had a glowing, oozing river underneath. It was a putrid green color.

"What's that?" I asked as we halted at the bridge. The wind began to pick up. Slappy took his jacket off and placed it on my shoulders. It was warm from being on him for so long. He wore a fancy, white dress shirt underneath, with a pair of black suspenders.

"The river? It's monster blood," he stated as if this was normal for him.

"Monster… blood?"

"Yeah, every one of the monsters in this park and beyond bleed this gunk. When they die, their secretions are dispensed into the river."

"Do _you_ bleed green?"

"My blood color, my business," he chuckled to himself. He ruffled my hair. "Come, we should get back to the suite. It gets dangerous at night."

We wandered back to the Inn under the radiant moonlight. The lobby was booming with life. Monsters and humans checking in, bellhops lugging people's things up the stairs and into the elevator. Slappy pulled me up the stairs, knowing that the elevator would be a bit of a wait. Thirteen flights of stairs were not easy. Suddenly, he lifted me up and had me on his back. He skipped up the stairs, making me buck into the air as he hurried up the steps. When we finally reached the floor, he placed me off.

We reached the door to the suite, which had a letter on it. Slappy ripped it off and unlocked the door. He flicked on the switch, causing the candles to alight. I plopped onto the bed. I was so tired. Slappy dug into the refrigerator and pulled out what appeared to be a cake. He motioned for me to come forward. I dragged myself off of the bed and over to the small kitchen. It _was_ a cake. It was a turquoise blue, my favorite color, with one large candle in the center.

"What's this for?" I laughed, unsure of the reasoning for a cake.

"Don't you know what today is?"

"Not really, no?" I lifted an eyebrow. "Should I?"

"It's your birthday, Amy," he pulled out a lighter from his slacks pocket and lit the candle.

"W-what?" I don't know how I could have forgotten my own birthday.

"Make a wish," he smirked, his eyes flickering in the candle light. As intense as they are beautiful. I closed my eyes and blew out the candle. "What was your wish?"

"It won't come true if I tell you," I winked. He hoisted the candle out of the cake, licking the frosting from the bottom. He went over to the drawer by the fridge and took out a large kitchen knife. Its sharp, shiny blade glistened in the light of the room. It was almost hypnotic. He cut two small pieces out and put them on plates. He set the knife down on the tabletop.

The cake was delicious. Vanilla, with a gooey, strawberry center. _Sort of like me._ I gulped and continued to chew the dessert.

"Is this my surprise?" I muttered through chews. He looked up from his plate and at me.

"No, I honestly thought you knew it was your birthday," he grinned. He took a bite from his slice. The turquoise frosting covered his pearly white teeth.

"Then… what's my surprise?" I was afraid that this surprise really would be bad. I didn't even know what day it was, let alone that it was my birthday. _How did HE know it was my birthday?_

"Finish your cake first," he lifted his brows. He finished his piece quite rapidly, while I let mine linger. He got up from the table and waltzed over to the record player, humming a familiar tune. _Was that… was that the wedding march?_ He pulled out a dusty old record, which he promptly blew the grime off. He placed it into the player and fiddled with it until it worked. The music that played was a nice, swing-like tune. He gallivanted back to the kitchen and took my hand, raising me from the chair.

He started to dance with me in the middle of the suite. Swaying with me and rocking me around in circles. He had a menacing smile plastered on his face. Something didn't feel right. He stopped and put his sleeves up, revealing his slender, yet toned arms. They were coated in freckles like most of his body, and small amounts of red hairs. He continued to waltz with me, his eyes staring deeply into mine. The record began to skip.

_DON'T YOU-_

_DON'T YOU-_

_DON'T YOU-_

The words kept repeating. Slappy growled furiously and kicked the stand the player sat on. The player stopped and he rolled his eyes.

"So much for that," he mumbled. He stumbled back to me. His intense eyes focused on mine as he approached me. He grabbed hold of my hand and kissed it gently. He looked back up at me and began to sink to the floor. He stood on one knee. I had a feeling that I knew where this was going… I didn't like it.

"Amy…" he began, digging through his pants pocket.

"Y-yes," I stuttered, vibrating with anxiety. He seized a small, black felt-covered box. He lifted the top, revealing a stunningly large diamond ring. It was beautiful... but the implications of it were unwanted.

"You will be my bride," his smile burned into my brain. It reminded me of the first time we met. So malicious, yet playful. Whimsical, yet cruel. It sickened me.

"NO!" I blurted out angrily. I could see the smile shift into a wicked scorn, cracking his already broken face.

"I don't remember asking you," he gripped my left wrist with all of his might. I struggled to pull away, but his grasp was too strong. He attempted to force the ring onto my ring finger, scratching and scraping me. "Come on, get on there!"

"Stop! Stop it!" I tried to smack him with my right hand. He pulled me down to his level while clutching onto my wrist.

"Shut your fucking face!" He screamed, his face turning a bright red in frustration. I managed to tug my wrist away from his clench. I stumbled backwards. He approached me, his eyes flashing with excitement.

"Get… away… from me!" I clawed at his face. Unexpectedly, I scraped more than I anticipated. Half of his fleshy exterior tore from his face. Green blood gushed from the wound. His dummy form was his endoskeleton, peering through the tear on his face, green liquid coating it. Both his human eyes and his fake, glassy eyes narrowed at me, his brows furrowing in extreme contempt. He hustled to the kitchen and took the knife from the tabletop.

"_THAT WASN'T VERY NICE, AMY_," he screeched, slowly shuffling towards me with a repugnant grin that matched his puppet form. His voice was a disgusting combination of his smooth human voice and his shrill puppet voice, with a guttural undertone which made my stomach churn. His red hair was in a curly, sweaty mess. He loomed towards me, holding the kitchen knife in a horrific manner. "_WHAT'S THE MATTER, AMY? NOT GOING TO SMILE FOR YOUR DARLING HUSBAND?_"

I tried to back away. I wanted to run but my feet didn't know where to go. My body felt like jelly. I could feel my heart racing. It was just like my dream. Except it wasn't a dream. It was a nightmare… and this nightmare has come to life.

He reached out and snatched my hair, gripping it tightly. He pulled my locks closer towards him and grabbed hold of my face. I squirmed and writhed in his grasp.

"_THIS WILL TEACH YOU TO RIP PEOPLE'S FACES OFF!_" He placed the knife to my cheek. I trembled in immense fear. I could feel the sharp blade dig into my flesh, stinging more than anything I've ever felt in my life. I could feel a warm, thick liquid trickling from the wound. He finished slicing into my skin, still grasping onto my hair. I screamed, but it felt like no one could hear me, no matter how loud I was. He pushed me to the ground and began to drag me into the kitchen.

He went into his pockets and pulled out a key. He unlocked the door that stood next to the refrigerator. I looked up, blood dripping from my wound. I noticed a plaque on the top of the frame. I couldn't make out what it meant.

He lugged me into the dark room and down a flight of stairs. I bumped violently on every step. I could see a radiant blue pool in the center of the room. It made the dark room light up. When we reached the bottom, he tossed me onto the floor. It was cold and damp, rocky in texture.

"_YOU WILL COME OUT WHEN YOU HAVE LEARNED TO BE A GOOD SLAVE_," Slappy shrieked as he stomped up the steps. "_AND A GOOD BRIDE!_"

He slammed the door. The light from the suite disappeared and left me to the light blue glow of the body of water in the center of the room. The room looked like a cave, with stalactites and stalagmites sticking from the ceiling and ground, respectively. I got up and walked around the wet floor.

"Hello?" I called. My voice echoed. "Hello?"

"_Hello_," a voice called back. It sent a shiver down my spine. The voice was deep and masculine, but had a nasally tinge to it.

"Who… where are you?" I beckoned to the voice.

"_Follow my voice_," he bellowed. I tiptoed towards the direction of the voice. The stalactites dripped water from the ceiling and down my back. "_To your right._"

I turned to my right as the voice suggested. I couldn't believe what I was looking at…

* * *

><p><strong>DUNDUNDUNDUNDUNDUdNDos<strong>


	17. Radio Chatter

"How much further?" Katie called from the back of the minivan. Oh, did I forget to mention I drive a minivan? I was never sure why mom and dad got me a minivan, since I'm not a soccer mom… but hey, a car's a car.

"We should be there eventually," the pale boy, who revealed himself to be named Ray, stated without certainty. He sat in the passenger seat to direct me.

"You said that like, 2 fucking hours ago man," Harrison whined.

"I'm going to say it in another 2 hours, too," Ray sarcastically hissed.

"So, Sarah, where do you go to school at?" I asked Amy's sister, who sat quietly between Harrison and Katie.

"I go to this small art school further north," she began, looking at Ray with a smile. "It's close to a town called Dark Falls, which is where Ray is from!"

"Yeah," he nodded his head. "It's really… nice."

"Weirdo," Harrison mumbled under his breath. I rolled my eyes. Harrison was being a real dick ever since we started our journey. Particularly once we encountered Ray and Sarah.

The road was desolate, and seemed to stretch endlessly. I bobbed my head to the music. Katie ended up nodding off, so did Harrison. I looked over at Ray. Something seemed off about him, but I couldn't put my finger on it. He smelled strange too. He was kind, but I felt hesitant sitting next to him.

"So, Ray, what's… uh, Gravity Falls, is it? What is it like?" I tried to make conversation with someone who was pretty much dead silent.

"Uh, _Dark_ Falls. It's a fine place. The weather is always dark and cool, and I love it like that," he said with blank expression. "Where are you from?"

"Well, I just moved to Freedom Peaks, which is where Sarah is from. But I used to live in a place not too far from there called Whispering Woods."

"That's a pretty far out name," he giggled dryly.

"I guess," I shrugged. "It was pretty boring and away from anything remotely interesting."

"Dark Falls isn't that much fun either," he admitted. "I would mostly only play baseball with the neighborhood kids and work on artwork."

"What kind of stuff do you do?" I was generally curious. He didn't strike me as the artsy type. He didn't really strike me as any type.

"I paint," he looked out the window and at the never-ending array of trees. "Usually plants and other stuff. My mom used to think my art was pretty good and told me to go to school for it."

"Used to?"

"She died several years ago," he frowned.

"Oh… I'm so sorry to hear that, Ray," I sighed. That killed the mood.

"It's fine, I did too," he smirked. _The fuck does that mean?_

"Uh… what?"

"Nothing," he rolled his dim blue eyes. "Forget I said anything."

* * *

><p>The music droned on. It started to make me want to fall asleep, but I didn't want to be the one to kill all five of us. I stared at the trees. All of them changing in color and falling off of their branches. Soon it will be cold again. God, I hate the cold.<p>

Suddenly, the radio began to skip and stutter.

"_DON'T YOU- _

_DON'T YOU-"_

I changed the channel.

"_RUN AWAY-_"

I changed it again.

"_I'VE GOT YOU, GOT YOU-_"

What is going on?

"_THERE IS NO-_"

This can't be happening.

"_ESCAPE!_"

I shut the radio off. I began to shiver in my seat. I looked at Ray, who looked back at me with his mouth agape.

"LOOK OUT!" Sarah screamed from the back. I raised my head to see that we were about to crash into another car. We scraped the other vehicle, causing me to stop in a hurry on the side of the road. The other car stopped as well. A woman and a boy stepped out. I got out, while Ray remained in the passenger seat. Katie and Harrison rubbed their head. They must have hit their head from the sudden stop.

"What the hell was that?" The woman said. She looked to be about my age. She had long, blonde hair and dark brown eyes. She was incredibly angry.

"Trina, chill out," the boy said. He seemed to be about 15, maybe 16. He had curly black hair and those same, dark eyes. He had a gap between his teeth.

"This crazy… you know, almost killed us," Trina groaned. "What is your deal?"

"I-I'm sorry!" I couldn't come up with a good enough excuse. How could I say that the radio was giving me a panic attack?

"You're gonna be sorry!" Trina lifted the sleeves on her sweater.

"Trinaaaa, stop! You look like such a weenie!" The boy shook his head and stopped his, presumably sister, from approaching me. "I'm sorry about her."

"It's fine," I huffed. "Look… Trina, I'm sorry. There was something going on with the radio and it freaked me out. I didn't pay attention. It's my bad."

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"I'm Daniel, by the way," the young man said. "Where were you guys headed in such a hurry, anyway? You were going awfully fast."

"Uh, Horrorland," I sheepishly admitted to Daniel. "It's a scary place."

Daniel and Trina looked at eachother.

"Why do you want to go there?" Trina asked, looking at me like I was some sort of alien.

"Well, you probably won't believe me- " I was cut off.

"No, believe me. We'll believe anything," he laughed, nudging Trina.

"Um. Our friend, Amy. She… was kidnapped by someone. Someone very, very evil," I sighed. Just thinking about this situation made my insides hurt.

"Evil?" Trina shook and turned to Daniel.

"Some_one_ or some_thing_?" He chimed in.

"I guess he could be considered a thing... I'm not sure how to classify this little bastard," I started to tear up.

"I think we know who you're talking about," they said in unison.

"I-I don't know," I faltered.

"_Slappy_," they narrowed their eyes and mumbled his name. How… how did they know him?

"W-what?" I gasped.

"He turned our cousin into a fucking puppet," Trina shouted, tears beginning to form on the corners of her eyes. "He blew up! He _can't_ be back! It's not possible!"

"I think he is," I stated through tears.

"I want to strangle that little…" Trina made strangling motions with her hands. The rage she felt for him was the most intense I have seen.

"If you want to help, follow us," I gave her my hand. "We'll get him again."

She took my hand and shook it violently.

"We're going to get him," she smiled victoriously.

"Then let's get going!" I ran to my car, and they ran to theirs.

"Who were they?" Katie asked.

"They're going to help us kill that stupid puppet once and for all!" I grinned with confidence. I started the car up and sped into the road, Trina and Daniel following closely.

_We're going to get you, Slappy. For all of the pain you've caused us. All of us._

* * *

><p><strong>Short chapter from Jillian's perspective <strong>

**Y'ALL WON'T GET TO KNOW WHO AMY SEES UNTIL NEXT CHAPTER MUAHAHAHA**


	18. Doomed

**To Personel Change: Nope! I don't have one in mind xDDD I just wanted it to sound cool, sort of like that scene in Shaun of the Dead, where the channels pretty much tell the story**

* * *

><p>I couldn't believe it.<p>

I was looking at _Slappy_.

At least, he looked a lot like him, in his ventriloquist's dummy form. He had messy red hair, except unlike Slappy's, it wasn't sculpted on his head. It was more like a synthetic wig. He wore a strange plaid sweater, torn jeans and dirty sneakers. He may have looked like Slappy, but he didn't have a good taste in clothing. This dummy had freckles and a relatively large nose. He was missing an eye and was absolutely filthy. He was chained to the cave walls. Despite being imprisoned, he had the same hideous grin as Slappy.

"S-Slappy?" I hesitantly questioned the dummy. I knew it wasn't him, but I figured I would ask.

"Don't _ever_ call me that!" He hissed. His voice was horribly reminiscent of Slappy's, except much deeper. "I am Wally Wood… but _you_ can call me Mr. Wood."

"Mr. Wood… my name is—"

"Amy. I know who you are," he glared at me with his singular, blue eye. It was piercing.

"You… you know me?"

"Yesss," his voice was slithery. "My brother goes on about you a lot. It's _stomach-turning_."

"Your… brother?!" I never knew that Slappy had a brother… then again, why would that be something he would choose to tell me?

"Ah, I see he never spoke of me," he looked to the side. "Of course. I'm not surprised."

The dummy's eyes read sorrow and betrayal. I always thought it was funny that even though they're made of wood, it's possible to make them incredibly expressive. The single movement of an eyebrow, or the slight opening of the mouth. All of them allow the otherwise vacant being to appear almost human.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I expressed. "I honestly am."

He cackled. It echoed through the room, causing the still pool of water to shake from the vibrations.

"It's no matter," he looked up at me with his only eye. It was like a dangerous pool of blue, filled with sharks that will take a bite out of you if you weren't careful. Was Mr. Wood the shark?

"Why are you imprisoned here?"

"My brother, the oh-so-wonderful one!" He screeched. The dummy had a wicked animosity towards Slappy. "Ever since he was revived, he locked me in here. Beat me up and stole everything from me!"

"What happened between you and Slappy?"

"Well, we've got a while together, so I might as well regale you…" I sat down as he began to tell the story of him and Slappy…

"We were built decades ago, perhaps even a century. The sorcerer who made us put all of his evil in us before he died. He was being threatened by the village he thrived in for practicing witchcraft and sicking his creations on children and adults alike. They didn't believe him when he told them that all of his evil magic was thrust from him and into us. So, they hanged him.

After an era of sitting on the shelf of an abandoned home, we were eventually thrown away by the next owners of the house. We were separated. We may not have been brought to life, but we were still conscious. Sooner or later, we arrived at Horrorland. It was known as Panic Park when we arrived. We were brought to life and eventually took over the wretched park. My brother and I ruled everything and EVERYONE.

Though, Slappy was never the one for dictatorship. He was more of a mischievous spirit than a malevolent one. He would cause trouble, I would pick up the pieces. The park began to get annoyed with Slappy's trouble and kicked him out of the joint. I had no choice but to join him, leaving the place unprotected.

We were both eventually found by these two twins, Lindy and Kris Powell. Sweet kids. We were brought back to life again. Slappy was still being his mischievous little self, while I taught those kids not to mess with me. I strangled their dog! It was funny.

Anyway, they somehow got the upper-hand and managed to kill me. Once I was destroyed… something happened to my brother. He changed. He was still a troublemaker, but now he wanted control. He wanted power. It overwhelmed him.

When he came back to Horrorland, he was told that he cannot rule it himself. He reasoned with the Council of Horrors to allow him to rule, but they denied him again and again. I was busy doing other things, like still being left in a shop somewhere. Eventually, they told him that if he were to rule Horrorland, it would have to be with a queen. Something about gender equality or some bullcrap. He tried to marry a Horror, whose name is Miriam I think, but she refused. She felt him to be more of a mentor and a father-figure.

He was furious and destroyed all of his rivals, ripping their heads off. He wanted power so bad that he decided to try and marry some little kid. That failed miserably, when a doll wanted him instead. Heh, let's just say he met his new friend, the buzz saw.

He eventually found me in a pawn shop when he was revived again. He figured that since _I _was the violent, power-hungry one, I should be contained. I tried to tell him that we should rule together again, but he wasn't having it. The more he was alive, the more the evil from me possessed him. He locked me in here when he came back to Horrorland before kidnapping you. He took my eye and beat the shit out of me, purely out of spite. He betrayed me.

I think I know why he kidnapped you, Amy. He doesn't _care_ about you. He wants power. Ever since he turned human… the thing dormant in me and him has manifested. You know how he seems to switch from a kind-hearted man to a disgusting filth of a person? He's suffering from that monster. The psychosis. He's hearing voices, pulling him in two directions. Maybe he DOES care for you, but that thing inside him won't let him.

You're _doomed_, Amy."

He finished his story with that one sentence.

_Doomed._ That word rang into my brain like the echo of an enormous bell. _Doomed. _I knew that I was since I got here. But to know that Slappy is being controlled, like a puppet, by some even more evil being… it made that word even more prevalent.

"What should I do?" I started to tear up, overwhelmed by the situation.

"Do as he says for now… upsetting him will make the monster worse," Mr. Wood exhaled. His voice was deadpan. "You'll only end up in here again and again, or the worst case scenario… _dead_."

"Dead…" I repeated.

"Once he thinks he has you under his thumb, reclaim that spell book Mortman gave you," he smirked.

"How… do you know my librarian?"

"Ha! I don't think you know your librarian very well… _he's a monster_. He lives in this very park!"

No way. No way. NO WAY.

"Anyway… you need to get that book. Then free me," something about Mr. Wood's tone struck a chord.

"Why should I help _you_?"

"Because you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours. I want revenge on my brother. An eye for an eye. I want his eye," the dummy's mouth clicked as he growled. He was serious.

Suddenly, I heard a noise from behind. It was loud in this empty cavern. I gasped in surprise as I felt smell, cold hands grab my shoulders. I didn't know how else to react. I was frightened for my life after Mr. Wood's speech, I thought I was done for.

"Amy!" The deep voice shouted. I turned around and backed up. The light of the pool revealed the hands to belong to Dennis. Dennis… his goofy buck-toothed smile warmed my heart. I immediately grabbed him and pulled him in for a hug. I began to cry. I thought Slappy had killed him. He hugged me back. I let my warmth consume him. He laughed his dopey laugh. I looked up and saw another short being behind him. Another dummy. He was wearing a torn suit with a silky white tie. He wore a hat, which made him look like a gangster.

"Hey kid," the dummy spoke in a deep voice, with a mobster accent.

"Hi," I whimpered. Dennis let go of me. He looked at me with a concerned look.

"Amy, why are you here?" Dennis sighed. "You… you shouldn't be here."

"S-Slappy kidnapped me," I awkwardly responded. My wound suddenly started to hurt again, causing me to react in pain. I groaned. Dennis tore off a part of his sweater that I made for him. The Mobster dummy took a vial of the shining blue water from the pool and handed it to Dennis. Dennis poured it onto the cloth and cleaned my wound. It felt much better, but still stung.

"That bastard," Dennis cursed. He clenched his tiny fists. "I'll kill him for hurting you."

"No, Dennis," Mr. Wood hissed. "_I _will kill him. Amy, go check on what Slappy is doing."

"Why?"

"Just do it!" He demanded. Just like his brother, he had a vicious air about him. His commanding voice shook me to the core. I got up and walked to the staircase, hesitantly making my way up the staircase. I tiptoed silently as I made my way up. I could hear Slappy shouting. I made my way closer and closer, placing an ear on the door. He must have been on the phone, because there was no answer to his complaints that I could hear. He was heated.

"No, I need it NOW… I don't CARE how much it costs, I have more money and power than you could dream of… No, I… NO! Listen to me… God damn you, I need that potion now! I am falling apart… No! You will come to ME, witch… FINE, come here by 1a.m. or your ass will be mincemeat!" He violently turned the phone off. He let out a long, angry roar.

I decided to do something risky.

I tapped on the door. I could hear Dennis let out a slight _"huh?"_ Slappy's footsteps approached the door. I listened to him jiggling the lock. I put on my best sad, pleading expression. He opened the door with a surprised, yet irritated face. The half of his face that peeled off was covered in a mask, like something out of the Phantom of the Opera.

"Amy," he raised his brows at me. I began to fake crying, trying my best to look pathetic.

"I-I'm sorry," I sobbed. Tears streamed down my cheeks. "I-I'll be good."

I grabbed onto his leg to make myself look even more pitiful. He let out a sigh and pulled me up. He gave me a hug and pet my hair, shushing me. My tears seeped into his blood-stained dress shirt. It was caked in green and red blood, like an ugly Christmas shirt for serial killers.

"Alright, Amy, alright," he cooed, bringing me into the suite. He shut the door, leaving Mr. Wood, Dennis and the Mobster dummy alone in the cavern. "I forgive you. I shouldn't have been so aggressive. But… you must understand… I need a bride and I want it to be you. Please allow me to marry you."

"O-okay," I sniffled, latching onto Slappy's shirt. "I will."

"Excellent," he cried. "We will make preparations immediately."

"Sounds good," I mumbled, wiping my tears on my sleeve.

"Let's get you into bed first," he whispered. He locked the door to the cavernous void and scooted me into the enormous bed. "I'll be in soon, I need to wait for something."

He gave me a kiss on my forehead, tucking me into the satin sheets. He gazed into my eyes and leaned back in. He gave me deep, passionate kiss. It was warm and soft, but I realized it wasn't real. None of the passion, none of the care. It was fake.

"Goodnight, Amy," he beamed. "_I love you._"

* * *

><p><strong>HE SAID THE L WORD<strong>

**HE'S IN LESBIANS**


	19. A Headless Caterpillar

I couldn't go to sleep. All I could think about was that word. _Love. _It paced in my mind, drumming against my temples violently. _Love_. I love my family. I love my friends. Slappy is neither my friend nor my family. I would barely consider him my partner. _A romantic partner?_ Never. Not by choice. Mr. Wood told me that he doesn't care about me. How can I even trust Mr. Wood? For all I know, he's still evil. Still _malevolent_. _Love._ Can it be possible? I don't like to think about this sort of thing. I've never even been kissed before Slappy came along. Is it love? I don't know what that feels like. Is it fuzzy and disgusting, like a headless caterpillar? _Gross_.

I watched Slappy sitting at the kitchen table. He was reading through a newspaper, still in his bloodstained clothes. I studied his form. His facial features. The intensity of his eyes as they shifted from side to side, reading the paper. It didn't feel right looking at him. It made me feel dirty and wrong inside. But at the same time, it felt natural. It felt _good._

_KNOCK KNOCK_

There was a knock on the door. It alerted Slappy. He placed the paper down and hurried to answer the beckon. When he opened the door, I could see a skinny woman standing at the frame. She was dressed from head to toe in black. I noticed something funny about her. She had the ears and tail of a cat, which flowed naturally from behind her dress. She was gorgeous.

"Sarabeth," Slappy whispered, assuming I was sleeping. "Do you have it?"

"Hmm, I don't know," Sarabeth purred. Her body moving unnaturally as she slinked into the suite. "Do you have your payment?"

"Yeah, yeah, just give it to me," Slappy growled, clearly agitated with the woman. I saw her stick a hand into her breasts and pull out a vial. It was filled with a glowing red fluid. Slappy quickly snatched it from her claws and tore off the top. He poured the vile ooze into his mouth. I could see it drip from his lips as he finished consuming it. He licked his lips, clearing the red spew away. He reached into his pants pockets and pulled out his wallet. It was bursting with paper, presumably money.

He opened the wallet, but Sarabeth's tail smacked it from his hand, causing it to fly across the room. This surprised Slappy. She approached him and took his half-mask off. His face was back to its pristine condition, prior to when I ripped off his flesh. She cupped his chin and gave him a deep kiss. _How dare she._ He pushed her away, making her fall to the floor.

"What's the matter? Cat got _your_ tongue?" Sarabeth laughed hideously, casually lifting herself from the ground.

"Do not do that," he warned her, waving a finger at her. "Take your money and leave, witch."

"Oh, come on, _doll_," she hummed. Her tail whisked around Slappy's legs, tripping him. "You know I have no need for your money."

I watched as she climbed on top of him. I saw Slappy look at me. I closed my eyes almost on cue. I couldn't let him know I was awake. He tried to shove her off, but she held him down.

"I thought you said there would be a price," he hissed, struggling to free himself. He was vulnerable to this woman. I could feel sweat drip down my cheek. This made me… _jealous._

"That price would be me," she giggled, leaning in for another kiss. Slappy bit her lips with a lot of force, causing blood to drip down her chin. She pulled away and let out an angry hiss. "A feisty one, are we?"

"Get off of me, you disgusting wench," he managed to thrust her off of him. She staggered back.

"You owe me, _Firefly_!" She snarled.

"Get. Out," Slappy grabbed her by her short, black hair. She let out a cry, obviously in pain from Slappy's grip. He dragged her towards the door. She clawed at him, but he was un-phased. She grasped the door frame as he shoved her out, leaving large scratches that stuck out like a sore thumb in comparison to the beauty of the room. He slammed the door and locked it. "And STAY OUT."

"Slappy?" I called to him. His head perked. I saw him turn the lights off before strutting towards the bed. My eyes adjusted quickly.

"Oh, Amy," he cooed. He started to take his blood-soaked shirt off, revealing his freckled chest. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine, I've been awake," I admitted. I moved down in the bed, allowing him room. "Wait, why am I on the bed, anyway? Didn't you say that slaves sleep on the floor?"

"Well, you're not _just_ my slave anymore, now are you?"

"No, I guess not," I could feel myself blush. His warmth engulfed me. It emanated off of him, surrounding me in a comfy binding, like a present waiting to be unwrapped. "I saw what… Sarabeth was trying to do to you."

"Oh…" he mumbled. "You weren't supposed to see that. I can assure you she is insane. I don't care for her the way I do for you."

"Why did she call you Firefly? I thought that was Miriam's nickname for you," I was beginning to suspect that he was some kind of man-whore. Who knows who else calls him that? Was that some kind of code word for _Oh, I had sex with this butthole_?

"Don't worry about it," he sighed. He was clearly hiding something from me.

"Have you and her… er…" I always had trouble talking about this kind of thing. I didn't want to ask.

"Have we… what?"

"_You know_," I stuttered. He looked at me blankly. "Have you and her… do you two have a _history_?"

"OH," he shouted. He began to laugh, almost in a fit of hysteria. He wiped a tear from his laughter from his eye. "Amy, don't fret. History is history. But I give you credit for catching on."

"So… you do?"

"Be quiet, Amy," he snickered. He patted my head as he normally does. I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with envy. "Are you jealous?"

"M-maybe," I stammered. He chuckled softly and kissed my forehead. I saw him give me a smirk.

"Don't be," he turned to the opposite side of the bed. "You will get the chance to call me 'Firefly,' as well. Goodnight."

"Good… night," I was speechless. My mind began racing again. My heart pacing. I could feel blood rush to my face. _God damn it._


	20. Vacancy

**Sorry for the delay guys, school is really stressing me out.**

**Pluuuus I wasn't sure what direction to go in, but I think I figured it out xD**

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><p>It felt like I had been driving for centuries. I could feel my eyelids drooping as I steered carefully on the winding road. Everything was dark. I haven't slept in a long time. I could use some rest. I think we all could. I noticed Katie and Harrison passed out in the back, their heads were limp and wilted downward. Sarah yawned, causing me to yawn almost immediately after. I realized that Ray had not yawned, nor has he slept. Perhaps he was focused on the task at hand, or maybe he had insomnia. No matter.<p>

I spotted a motel on the side of the road. It perplexed me that there was a motel on this road. It was so vacant and endless that it seemed bizarre to place a business of any kind here. Despite my confusion, I flicked on my turn signal so that Trina would know to follow. I pulled into the lot. It was almost empty, with the exception of two cars, both of which looked like they haven't been used in a while. I parked into an empty space. I saw Trina parking next to me. Harrison and Katie opened their weary eyes.

"Where are we?" Katie stretched, her voice tired from her slumber.

"I needed somewhere to sleep," I responded while getting out of the car. "I figured we could all use a bit of shut eye."

"Well, some of us _were_ sleeping, ya know?" Harrison scoffed. He gets like that when he wakes up from a nap.

"Shut up and let's go get some rooms," I slammed the car door. The rest of the gang got out of the car, extending their legs and arms. Trina and Daniel got out of their car, stretching their aching limbs as well. I began to stroll over to the office area, where the proprietor normally gives out keys. I opened the door and the gang followed me inside. I rang on the bell that sat on the desk. The office was small and dingy. The topaz-colored wallpaper was peeling and looked stained… from what, I have no idea. A curtain hung behind the desk. I assumed that the owner of the motel was behind it. I continued to ding the bell.

"Hello? Anyone there?" I called. No answer.

"Yo, dude, we want a room or two, pretty please," Harrison bellowed. I could hear his stomach roar. He slammed on the bell and rang it repeatedly. It was annoying. Without warning, a short man burst from the curtain. He looked pretty pissed off.

"WHAT? What the fuck do you want?" He screamed. He had a bizarre, north-east accent. It was reminiscent of someone from New York or New Jersey. _Where were we?_

"W-we want to purchase a room or two, please," I stuttered. I busted my ass off during the summer. I earned a hefty sum of money. I was going to save up for when I had to go to college, but I figured that this situation was much more dire. I know it's bad, but I always keep my money in my wallet. I can't help it.

"Alright, alright," he crowed. He was a very small and plump man. He wore large wire-frame glasses that made his eyes look enormous. He was balding, but had tufts of black hair sprouting from the sides of his head. "That'll be, uh, three-hundred bucks for two rooms for the night."

"Will two rooms be enough to fit all of us, sir?" I inquired. I didn't want to be cramped in a room with everyone.

"Look, kid, each room has two beds. Ya should be fine," he growled anrgily. Even his temper was short.

"Alright," I sighed. I pulled out my wallet and handed him the money. He snatched it from my hands and counted it in front of me. He went behind the curtains for a moment and returned with two keys. He placed them in my hand.

"Have a good night, kid," he sneered and hurried back into his drapes. That guy was weird.

"How do you have so much money?" Daniel asked, his eyes widened.

"I busted my ass this summer," I told him. "Come on, let's go. Rooms 201 and 202. Who's going with who?"

"Uh, I'll go with Trina and Dan," Harrison stated.

"I'll go with them too," Katie blushed. I think she may be crushing on Daniel. "I-I mean, because, I wanna get to know them."

"Wow, geez, alright. Thanks guys," I chuckled. "Ray and Sarah, I guess you're with me!"

"Cool," Ray said with a straight, blank face. He linked his arms around Sarah and carted her up the stairs. I trailed behind them. When we reached the door, I walked ahead of the couple and plunged the key into the door, unlocking it. I stepped in and turned on the lights. The room was surprisingly clean and large for a motel. The odor was strange, though. It smelled old and decrepit. I plopped myself onto the bed closest to the window. I shut my eyes.

* * *

><p>"Sarah," I heard Ray snarl, awaking me from an exceptionally brief rest. "I need it NOW."<p>

"Ray, y-you know I can't," Sarah whimpered. I opened my eyes to see her cowered in the corner of the room, with Ray hovering over her. His skin looked gray in the moonlight.

"I need to feed… **now**," he hissed. _Feed?_ I leapt out of the covers and onto the cold floor.

"Ray, what are you doing?" I shouted at him. He turned around slowly. His eyes glowed a blood red. It was haunting. His face looked deformed, with bits of skin peeling from his cheeks.

"Stay out of this, Jillian," he roared. "Unless… I could feed on _you_, instead."

"What do you mean by _feed_, you psycho?" I trembled. He began to approach me. His teeth glistened, baring at me like a wild animal. I heard the door slam open. Harrison and Daniel rushed towards Ray. He turned his head and knocked them down. Unphased, he continued to lurch towards me, but the two got back up and grabbed his arms without hesitation, catching him off guard. He squirmed and struggled, but Harrison and Daniel resisted his thrashing. He was strong enough to push them down, but he was unable to release himself from their grasp. He looked tired and worn, perhaps even weakened from not "feeding."

"Sarah, would you mind explaining this shit?" I exclaimed, my heart still racing from the doom I was about to face. I looked at Ray. He huffed and growled quietly to himself.

"U-uh, okay. You remember h-how I was saying that my school is close to where Ray l-lives? Dark Falls?" She stammered, sweating nervously.

"Yeah?"

"That entire town… i-it's wrong. Everyone there is… is," she shook violently, pausing to catch her breath. "_Dead_."

"Dead?!" Harrison screamed. I briefly wondered where Trina and Katie were, but came to the assumption that they were fast asleep.

"Well… undead," Sarah corrected herself. "They need to feed once a year on new blood, otherwise they—"

"Wait wait, so you're telling me that Ray is some kind of zombie vampire thing? …_Cool_!" Daniel smirked, still carrying Ray.

"That isn't cool, dude. What if he eats us or drains our blood?" Harrison gave Daniel a look of frustration. Daniel just shrugged.

"Look, everyone calm down," I sighed. I knelt down to Ray's level. He looked defeated. "Ray… what happens if you don't 'feed?'"

"I die," he groaned. "Forever."

"Who cares?" Daniel scoffed.

"We need him to get to Horrorland, moron," I smacked Daniel upside the head. "Do you have to feed on one of us? Or… can it be anyone?"

"As long as their warm, crimson blood is flowing through their juicy veins…" he licked his crackling lips.

"Alright, whatever," I wanted to get the thought of Ray being an undead lunatic out of my head. "What about the guy who runs the hotel?"

"He will do," his voice rasped. I could see skin peeling from his face as he spoke. Gross.

"Perfect," I nodded. I signaled Harrison and Daniel to follow me as I led us downstairs. The night air was brisk and sent a shiver through my body. We crept towards the office. I slowly opened the door. The illumination in the office was off, but flashing lights peered through the curtain. I could hear the plump maniac laughing. I think he was watching television. I rang the bell. Harrison, Daniel, and I stooped behind the desk. Ray stood at the foot of the desk. I heard the proprietor stumble from the curtain.

"Eh, what do ya want, freak? I gave yous kids a room, what else do ya want?" He rambled. I looked up at Ray, whose red eyes were focused on the man.

"Your blood," Ray smirked. He leapt across the desk and onto the man, which took us by surprise. We leapt up and peeked behind the opposite side of the desk. Ray's teeth were sunk deep into the balding man's neck. The man's skin started to lose its pigment, turning into a pale gray. His hair, already showing signs of age, withered from his head. His eyes, once brown and full of hatred, widened and morphed into a pale blue.

Ray finished his… _meal _and stood up. His skin reverted to its paler, more natural form. He was still undead, but looked more human than his prey.

"Let's go back to sleep," he sighed. The look on Daniel and Harrison's face was that of pure terror, yet intrigue. Ray wiped his mouth. "We need to wake up early if we're ever going to reach Horrorland in time to save your friend."

"Understood," I shook my head. I can't believe what I just saw. Sure, nothing really phases me anymore, but just seeing something as gruesome and disturbing as that is enough to shake even the toughest of nails to the core. Something tells me that tomorrow when… _if_ we save Amy, we're not going to like what we encounter. The terrors of Horrorland are awaiting our arrival. I'm not sure if I'm ready.

If _we're_ ready.

But with Ray on our side, now well-fed and able to protect us, I think we can handle it. I think.

_I hope._


	21. A Stitch in Time Saves Nine

**Personel Change: LMFAO HOW DID YOU KNOW IT WAS DANNY DEVITO?! also he's one of them, but i'll explain it in the next chapter xDDD also i totally stole the way slappy treats amy like a dog plz dont be mad**

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><p>I opened my eyes. I couldn't see a thing. I tried to blink a few times, but nothing changed. Everything was pitch black. It was like I was blind… or even <em>eyeless<em>. I closed my eyes and rubbed them, then proceeded to lift my eyelids once more. I could see a blue light radiating from the center of the room. I slowly crawled to it. It felt like time had slowed down. Everything seemed wrong. When I approached the light, I heard a scraping noise from behind me. I turned around and saw nothing. I went back to the light. I could hear the light humming. It was a familiar tune, but I couldn't recall it. I felt a tap on my shoulders.

I twisted around. A bright light shined, impairing my sight. When the light receded, I could see what was behind me, but only barely. A group of impish, human-like silhouettes. I was getting an uncanny valley sense. A bad one. They started to walk towards me. They hummed the same tune as the light, but in a harmonious rasp. I backed up towards the blue light as they loomed towards me. As the light engulfed their faces, I could see that they were dummies. All but one. A doll. At least, the torso of a doll, using its hands as a means of transportation. They were missing their eyes. Empty, soulless sockets stared into my eyes as I crept backwards, avoiding whatever fate had in store for me.

"No," I tried to scream, but a mere whisper escaped. I inched too far backwards and fell into a body of water. I could feel myself sinking further and further, yet not losing any breath. I let myself sink until I reached the end, if there was one. I sank faster and faster, letting the ice cold water swarm and immerse me.

And just like that, I woke up.

Instead of an arctic grasp, I was greeted with a warm embrace. The comforting hold of _him_. I could feel his heart beat faintly against his chest and through my spine. His head rested above mine. He snored loudly, like a wild beast after a huge meal. I felt him stretch across the bed, causing the covers to slip downward. I don't know why he slept almost naked every time we've slept together so far, maybe pajamas would be too hot for him since he isn't used to having any form of bodily heat.

He let out a long, boisterous yawn. He stretched yet again, this time stretching his arms up in the air. He ruffled around the sheets a bit and sat up. He gave me a slight shake to try and wake me up. I turned aside and gave him a smile.

"Are you ready for tonight?" He stated out of nowhere. He gave me a smirk and narrowed his eyes at me.

"Hm?" What was he planning? What's going on?

"Um… The wedding?" He let out a short chuckle, still grinning at me artfully. _I didn't find it funny._ The wedding? _Tonight?_

"Tonight?!" I quietly gasped. "B-but—"

"No buts, my dear," he tapped my nose with his finger and got out of the sheets. "Come, we have a lot to do today. Don't want to waste daylight, do we?"

"I-I don't understand," I stammered, trying to make sense of what is going on. "This is happening… tonight?"

"What is there to understand?" He snickered, about to enter the bathroom. "When I'm finished getting clean, it'll be your turn. Try and be fast, I need to get you to a seamstress immediately."

He slammed the bathroom door. I attempted to process everything at once. I know that I agreed that I would marry him… but I didn't think he meant _immediately_. I got up from the bed and put my hands on my face, as if to wash them. I stared at my hands. Everything about them was normal. My body was normal. I functioned normally. But… I didn't feel normal. I've been feeling so unnatural since Slappy came into my life. Even when he was destroyed, it seemed like he never left. For five years I've felt outcasted and _empty_. My temperament changed completely. I once was pretty social, outgoing. Now I've just been quiet… keeping to myself. For the longest time, I didn't even have friends. Not even my own brother was my friend. The only friend I had was my sister, and she had to leave for college. I was overwhelmed with loneliness. I even cried myself to sleep several times in a single month. Before I was kidnapped, though… before any of this Horrorland bullshit… I had friends. I finally felt whole. Complete. But now? That feeling of a choking, horrifying loneliness was back.

Slappy walked out of the bathroom. His hair was soaking wet and he was donned in a yellow towel, wrapping around his thin form. I couldn't help but to stare at him as he strolled by. It's hard to believe that this disturbing, creepy puppet that ruined my life could be so enchanting, enticing even.

"What are you staring at?" His eyes locked onto me. "You know, if you like what you see, just say so."

"Uhhh," I groaned. He turned away from me and removed his towel. God… _damn it_.

"Stop looking at my ass and get a shower, Amy," he croaked. I could literally feel his eyes rolling and the sneer plastered on his dumb, handsome face.

I hopped onto the floor and stretched my limbs in the air. I cracked my neck. I could hear the snapping sound as it turned on my shoulders. It felt pretty good.

"Hurry," he hummed. I hustled over to the bathroom and locked the door behind me, just in case he decides to walk in on me again. I noticed he had an outfit picked out for me on the counter. I tore off my clothes and hopped in the shower, making sure it was a quick one. After being shoved down into the dingy dungeon, fresh water was a lovely feeling. I know I like to go on about how much I love showers, but what can I say? When placed in a situation that brings on the sensation of feeling endlessly filthy, a shower is like a sanctuary.

I turned the water off and began to dry off. I looked at myself in the mirror. I didn't look like myself. Somehow I appeared different. Nothing really changed, but I just didn't recognize myself anymore.

I got dressed and headed out of the bathroom. Slappy wasn't in the suite. I looked around for him, but he was gone. I tried to see if he was in the dungeon-esque refuge, but the door was locked. I noticed a piece of paper on the front door. It read:

_"__Amy,_

_Meet me in the lobby when you see this. I will be waiting._

_-S"_

I read the note a few times and it made me remember what Mr. Wood had told me. He told me to reclaim the spell book. This could be my only chance to look for it. I locked the door in case Slappy comes back up. I started by checking every drawer in the suite. They were all filled with pants, shirts, and undergarments. One drawer was filled with a lot of miscellaneous bizarre objects like a shrunken head, with green scaly skin and thick black hair. It made me sick. I looked under the bed. I saw Slappy's suitcase and seized it. He put a lock on it. It _must_ be in here. I scuffled over to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. I tried to pick the lock, but it wouldn't work. He must keep the key in one of his suits. I opened the closet door and began digging through the suit pockets. There were many suits. _Why does he only own suits?! _I managed to find a set of keys in one of the pockets, along with a silver butterfly knife. I slipped it into my jeans pocket and hurried over to the suitcase. I tried all of the keys until I finally unlocked the padlock and ruffled into the suitcase. It was filled with stacks of papers and some dirty clothes and… Wait, is that it? I found it! I found the book! I peered into it to make sure it was the right one. _Thank goodness, it is. _

I redid the lock, slid the suitcase under the bed, closed the closet door, and shoved the book and set of keys into the bag that Slappy gave me. Hopefully bringing the bag wasn't suspicious to him. I unlocked the front door and rushed to the elevator. I shouldn't keep the bastard waiting.

The elevator dinged as I finally reached the lobby. Slappy was talking to Miriam. She giggled and blushed a dark green. If she didn't want to marry him, why is she still so into him? I didn't want to think about it. Seeing her reminded me that I was wearing the locket she gave me. I looked at the picture again. After hearing the story Mr. Wood told me, the picture of Slappy made sense. He was a king at one point. Or a prince. This must have been taken when he was in that position.

"Amy! There you are. What took you so long?" Slappy called as he half-heartedly jogged over to me.

"I wanted to get extra clean… ya know, for the special occasion," I lied. He seemed to believe it.

"Ah, I understand," he nodded, putting an arm over my shoulder. "You ready to visit the seamstress? I have big plans for your dress."

"Um, sure, but why are we getting married _tonight_?" He escorted me out of the doors of the Stagger Inn. The autumn air was still brisk, but the sunlight that slipped through the leaves of the trees warmed my skin.

"You ask so many questions," he shook his head, leading me down a dirt path. "Can't you just shut up and enjoy… life?"

"With you?"

"Yes, with me," he smiled wide, his teeth glimmering in the daylight. "You have a problem enjoying life with me? Because, if you do, I'm sure you would be more than appeased being alone in the dungeon."

I took a gulp. I was about to let my abrasive side emerge and tell him that this whole situation was a problem. That he was problematic. Because he is… I think. I am so confused.

"No, _sir_," I said through gritted teeth and a false smile.

"Good girl," he snickered. He patted my head like I was some kind of animal. _Damn you._

"I'm not your _pet_, you know," I grumbled quietly.

"Ha, keep thinking that," he scoffed, raising a brow. He began to scratch behind my ear. That actually felt kind of good. "Who's a good girl?"

"Knock it off," I sighed and continued walking. He removed his hand and stuck them behind his back. I noticed him looking away and back at me nonchalantly. He had that up-to-no-good smile. Unexpectedly, he swiftly started to tickle me. _I'm incredibly ticklish_. I stopped walking and tried to cover myself. I couldn't help but burst out laughing. We collapsed to the ground, him on top relentlessly tickling me. My bag fell off of my shoulders as I hit the dirt. He laughed with… _or_ at me. His hands moved to my stomach. His fingers wriggled up and down, scratching and tingling me with a grin spread across his face. I convulsed, giggling uncontrollably, pleading for him to stop… but I didn't really want him to.

"Do you like tickles, girl? Do ya? Do ya? Belly rubs? Hm?" He mocked me as he continued to make me writhe. He looked like he was genuinely trying to make me laugh. I thought about the context for a moment, though. He's treating me as a pet, an animal… _a mutt. _While it was nice to be shown the same kind of love a fucking _dog_ receives, it wasn't the same kind of love that a human being should be getting. It made me angry.

"Alright, alright," I laughed from the tingling sensation that spread through my body. "Enough, please! I yield, I yield!"

"Bark for me," he persisted, still tickling me. "I'll stop if you give me a little 'woof!'"

"Woof!" I barked, panting. Not on purpose, mind you. "Woof woof bark, there are ya happy!"

"I'm incredibly satisfied," he laughed hysterically. He released his hands and gripped his sides. I caught my breath after being unremittingly tickled. He pet my head again and helped me up. He wiped the dirt from my clothes and gave me a devilish smirk. "You're a good little pet, aren't you?"

"Like I said, I'm not your damn pet," I rumbled, making a pouty face.

"You seemed convincing enough," he giggled again. "Come on, enough fooling around. Let's go to the seamstress."

* * *

><p>We strolled into a relatively small purple tent-esque establishment. It was homey, dimly lit room. A crimson rug spread across the minute area. A body-sized mirror stood next to a desk, where a sewing machine sat firmly. There was a rack filled with dresses and shirts of all different colors and sizes.<p>

A short, hideously thin female Horror stepped through a hole in the purple curtains. She donned a violet bandana, making her look more like a gypsy than a seamstress. Her horns were cracked and had hoop earrings hanging from the tips. Her ears had earrings as well, quite a lot of them. Most of them gold and silver.

"Ah, hello there," Slappy greeted the woman, extending his hand. She approached us and shook his hand with a smile. She grinned at me with sharp fangs.

"Greetings," her voice was small and croaking. She coughed disgustingly, like that of an excessive smoker. "I assume this is the one in need of a dress?"

"Quite so," he shook his head. "I'll leave you to it."

"Whoa, where are you going?" I pulled on his coat tail.

"I have to go meet with a tailor."

"You're gonna leave me alone?" I made a frowning face. I didn't want to be stuck with this Horror.

"I'll be back once your dress is done," he replied cheerily. He put his fingers to the corners of his mouth, drawing a smile with them. "We still have much to do today, so please work fast."

"Yeah," the Horror smirked half-heartedly, waving to him as he exited the tent. When he finally left, she dragged her hand down, smacking the air. She groaned and muttered to herself. I don't think she likes him very much. "You're _marrying_ that schmuck?"

"Not voluntarily," I admitted, scratching the back of my head.

"Heh, I shoulda known," she hacked. She pulled out a measuring tape from the desk holding her sewing machine. "Stand straight and hold still."

I did as she asked, trying not to move. She took my measurements, jotting them down on a small notepad she had under her bandana. She hurried to a chest in the corner of the tent and pulled out a black, silky cloth.

"Black? For a wedding?" I gave her a concerned look.

"Have you ever _been_ to a wedding in Horrorland, kid?" She responded sarcastically. "Besides, your _darling_ husband sent in the request… or, should I say, _demand_ for a black dress."

"I see," I shrugged. She took the cloth over to her sewing machine, putting the notepad on her desk as she worked. I've always wanted to learn how to sew. My mom wanted to teach me a few years ago, but I never followed through. My mom would always make cute little outfits for Dennis. I still kept them, despite giving Dennis away.

"Take off your sweater," the Horror crowed. I did as she requested and removed my jumper. She brought the cloth over and wrapped it around me. It felt smooth to the touch. She reached for a tomato-shaped pin holder on her desk. She began to stick the pins in specific parts of the dress.

"So, kid, how did you get that cut?" She wheezed, hemming the dress as it caressed my form. I almost forgot that Slappy gashed my face last night. I could suddenly feel it sting.

"O-oh, I uh, I fell on something sharp and it got my face," I lied. She gave me an incredibly unimpressed look.

"Yeah, sure," she rolled her ominous yellow eyes. "You sure your abusive man whore of a husband didn't cut into you?"

"What do _you_ know?" I spat towards her. It just kind of came out. She shot me a dirty, _excuse you? _look.

"I will have you know, _human child,_ I've known your husband far before you were even conceived!" She growled. She stuck me with a pin, presumably on purpose, causing me to react with a jump. "He is a disgusting monster. He is not to be trusted, no not oooone bit!"

"Then why did you accept to make a dress for his wedding if you hate him so much?"

"Because he… paid me very, very handsome fee… yeah," she turned away from me, as if embarrassed. I couldn't help but feel that wasn't the only incentive. She let out a hefty sigh and continued to work on the dress. I wondered how Slappy has so much currency.

I stood still for the entirety of the seamstress's work. She worked steadily, making sure each stitch was perfect. She kept mumbling "A stitch in time saves nine." Other than that, she didn't speak to me. She didn't even _look_ at me. She was focused heavily on finishing my dress. I looked at myself in the mirror. _I still didn't recognize myself._ As I peered at the mirror, I analyzed the dress. It was gorgeous. It snuggled my figure just right. The seamstress did a fantastic job. She took a step away from her work and investigated it. She looked pleased with her work.

While I gawked at the mirror, I spotted the curtains moving. Slappy stuck his head through the tent's opening. He eventually shimmied his entire body in. His suit looked exactly the same, despite having gone to the tailor. Maybe he didn't. The seamstress flinched as she observed him walking in without any prior warning. She motioned her hands towards me, as if presenting me as some sort of special object.

He stood quietly for a while. His eyes studied me, examining every fold and curve on the dress and every molecule of skin on my body. I could see his eyes widen and his eyebrows raise. A smile stretched across his face.

"My, my," he started. He cupped his chin, still wearing that smile of his. "Amy, you look gorgeous."

"Do you like the dress?" The seamstress chimed, giving a confident smirk.

"Yes," Slappy responded, still gawking at me. "Is it finished?"

"Oh, of course," she nodded with a toothy… _or should I say 'fangy'_ smile.

"Excellent," he grinned.

"Aren't you, like, not supposed to see me in the dress before the wedding or something? Like isn't it bad luck?" I asked. He never took his eyes off of me. I noticed the seamstress roll her eyes.

"I don't believe in bad luck," he chirped, sticking his hand out to me. I reached for it and allowed him to pull me close to him. He kissed my hand and up my arm, like that of Gomez Addams. _Am I supposed to be Morticia?_ "Gather your things and change into your previous clothes, we need to meet with the Horrorland council to speak with them about the guidelines of my… _our_ rule after the wedding. We also need to speak with the Horrorland chapel administration to prepare a minister and anything else for tonight."

"Horrorland has a chapel?" I tilted my head in confusion. I was shocked that Horrorland had any sort of religious affiliation.

"It's rarely used," he shrugged. "It's mostly to give the humans who have any sort of faith a bit of hope, even though there isn't any once they've entered this place. I never understood it. Faith is just something to help stupid humans get out of a scary situation. It's pathetic, really. But it's the only suitable place to be wed here."

I couldn't believe what he just said. Actually, on second thought, I could. I've never really believed in a Deity. My mom and Dad were mildly religious, but they didn't find it necessary to push it on me, Sarah, and Jed.

I picked up my clothes. The seamstress kindly motioned to the part of the tent that she emerged from earlier to change in. Why did he want me to change anyway? I was just going to get back into the dress later. I did what he told me to do regardless, because fuck it. While I was getting back into my jeans, I realized something… where did my bag go? Oh shit… I think when Slappy tackled me to the ground to tickle me, it fell with us. I never picked it back up. _Damn, damn, damn!_

Trying to shrug it off, I took a deep sigh and walked through the curtain. I handed Slappy the dress, which he draped over his arm.

"Farewell, _worthless_ seamstress," he rasped, shooting the seamstress a cruel look. _Well, that was uncalled for. _What happened when I was getting changed? I let it slide. The seamstress shot him a look just as unpleasant right back as we exited her tent. "I hate that woman, but damn is she the best, and regrettably only, seamstress in this wretched place."

"If you think this place is so wretched, why do you want to rule it?"

He stopped us in our tracks. I could feel him tense up. I knew that was a mistake.

"Because it is my _birthright_. Besides, these pitiful peons deserve someone of my wisdom and grace," he gave me a conniving smile. It was uncomfortable how high he thought of himself. "Come, we still have much to do. Don't make me put a _leash_ on you."


	22. Have a Scary Day

**This chapter was hard to write for some reason x.x**

**that's why it's been a while lolol**

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><p>"Jillian," I heard a familiar voice call. I could feel manly hands shaking me. I drearily opened my eyes. I wiped away the sandman's residue to reveal Ray standing next to my bed. "We need to leave."<p>

"No time for breakfast or anything?" I mumbled through yawns. I slowly rose from the cheap, motel sheets. The sun was peeking through the torn curtains, making my freshly opened eyes burn briefly.

"No," he uttered emotionlessly. I saw the door open behind him. Trina, Daniel, Harrison, and Katie stood in the doorway, completely dressed. I must be the last person he woke up. After all of the shit I saw last night, I guess he wanted me to sleep more. "We need to leave, _now_."

I lifted myself from the hard bed and stretched. I could hear my limbs crack as I overextended them. How did I manage to sleep on that rock? Sarah stepped out of the bathroom. I hurried into the lavatory, making sure I snagged my toothbrush and toothpaste, and shut the door behind me. I gaped at myself in the dirty mirror. _Man, I look like shit_. My curly, cocoa hair frizzed from sleeping. Good thing I brought a beanie with me, otherwise, I would have to drag through the day with mangled hair. I turned on the sink and rinsed my face. The water tasted mineral-ly as it ran down my lips. I started to hastily brush my teeth, getting that horrible stench of morning breath out of my mouth. I gave myself one last glance in the mirror. I forgot that I slept in my clothes. We all did. No time to change into something fresh.

I rushed out of the bathroom. Everyone was standing by the door frame, chatting and waiting for me to get out so we can leave. Ray turned his head to me. His light blue eyes were piercing, even from a distance.

"Come on, let's get going," he rasped, motioning his head towards the exit. The gang began to leave the room. I jogged half-heartedly to catch up with them. Ray lagged behind with me, as the group dispersed downstairs. I realized that I should probably return the room key. I nudged Ray and led him to the office. "Everyone get in a car. We'll be right back," he muttered to the group.

I hesitantly entered the office door. Ray held it open in case we needed to leave in a hurry. The proprietor was nowhere to be found. _Perhaps that's a good thing_. I dropped the keys on the desk and backed out slowly. I could hear faint moaning from behind the curtain in the office. He must not be too happy about what Ray did to him. I continued to back away slowly.

"Jillian," Ray whispered. "We need to leave."

I hurriedly withdrew from the office and let Ray shut the door. Something didn't feel right. An ominous wind made me shudder. Ray grabbed my arm and rushed me to my car. Sarah, Katie, and Daniel sat snugly in the back. Harrison went with Trina, I guess.

_BANG_

A noise from one of the nearby motel doors startled me.

_BANG_

_BANG_

_CRASH_

A hand burst through the old wooden door of the room. Blood trickled down its decrepit skin. I screamed as the door next to it had a grizzly hand sticking through as well. The window of that room shattered to reveal a decaying, ugly man in a robe. Loud, angry moans escaped from the gaps in the doorframe, like a menagerie of wild animals waiting to feast. I stared in disbelief.

"GET IN THE CAR, _NOW_," Ray cried, hopping into the passenger seat. I sprinted into the car door and plunged the key into the ignition. I backed up hastily, trying to avoid the atrocious monsters making their way towards us. I saw the office door spring open out of the corner of my eye, revealing the man Ray fed on last night. He was pale grey, with bits of skin peeling from his ancient face. His formerly brown eyes were a threatening red. He narrowed his eyes at me as I sped onto the street. He let out a hideous roar. Trina followed behind, keeping up with my reckless pace.

"What the FUCK was that?!" Daniel screeched from the back. He looked through the rear window to see if they were following us.

"Yeah, Ray, mind explaining that?" I howled, giving Ray a dirty look, while also making sure I stayed on the road. He glanced back at me with his vicious diamonds.

"That short, penguin-esque man must have spread it to the other residents staying at the motel," he shrugged.

"I-it?" Katie stuttered.

"You know, the… um, zombie virus," he used air-quotes to describe his condition that he passed on to our friend at the motel.

"Not sure if this is cool or horrifying," Daniel chuckled. Katie gave him a worried look.

"Look, I'm sorry," Ray sighed and looked out the window. "I didn't expect him to want to feed so soon."

"It's okay, sweetie," Sarah chimed from behind him. She let out a hand to try and pet his head. "It isn't your fault."

"No, Sarah, it is," he rejected her concern, pushing her hand away. "I almost fed on _you_, for fuck's sake. I hate this curse. I don't want to be a fucking freak of nature. I don't want to have to rely on the blood of normal people and turn them into freaks like _me_. You guys are better off without me."

There was a short silence in the car, with the faint sound of the radio in the background.

"Ray," I growled, still focused on the road. I saw him turn from the window and look at me, his brows raised. "You are _not _a freak. You are a good person, but you have a problem that we can't help right now. We _need _you, Ray. We're going to help you somehow, but you need to help us too." He started to speak, but I interrupted him. "You're a part of the gang, and without you, we can't help Amy."

His crystal blue eyes looked down sorrowfully. He let out a long sigh and remained hushed. Everyone in the back fell silent as well.

I let the roaring of my wheels on the street accompany the feeble, statiticy radio chatter as my soundtrack. The sky was incredibly gloomy, but my car's clock read that it was only 11am. I don't remember if the time is fast, slow, or just wrong when it comes to this clock.

"Keep going straight. Make a left on Hardington Street," he said dryly with a blank face. He lifted his head and gazed at the road. I followed his directions, keeping a steady pace so as to not miss my turn.

_Thank you, Ray._

* * *

><p>A few hours had gone by. The sky was cloudy and far too gloomy to be normal. It didn't feel stormy or like it was going to rain. It was more threatening than that. We were coming up to Horrorland. I could feel it. The long, winding roads went on for miles upon miles. It was almost hypnotizing staring at those stretches of pavement. I peered into my rearview mirror. Trina was still close behind. She was chatting it up with Harrison, who sat next to her. I think they were hitting it off. Within my car, I spotted Katie slumped up next to Daniel. I knew she liked him. Sarah stared out of the window, unblinking and from what I saw, she seemed hopeless. She was worried for Amy. So was I. I hope we make it to her in time.<p>

The radio began to get louder. The static rose in pitch and seemed to only escalate. Everyone in the car jolted from their stances and perked their heads at the noise. It started to hurt my ears. The noise behind the static was garbled and indistinct. I smacked it until the static stopped.

"WELCOME BOYS AND GHOULS TO HORRORLAND, WHERE ALL OF OUR HAUNTING ATTRACTIONS ARE JUST DYING TO SEE YOU."

Demented circus music played behind a woman's voice. It sounded like an infomercial, but directed specifically towards us. She had an oddly pleasant voice.

I shot Ray a look. He put his index finger to his lips.

"UNFORTUNATELY, THE PARK IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC TODAY, FOR A _VERY_ SPECIAL OCCASION."

Katie perched over the driver's seat. The way those words bellowed beckoned her curiosity and her dread.

"A VERY SPECIAL _WEDDING._"

Katie's eyes sparked with fear and emotion. I felt my jaw droop.

"DON'T YOU—DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT TRYING TO GET IN. OUR STAFF WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO THROW ANY OBJECTORS INTO THE DUNGEON."

I felt a twinge of anger befall me.

"HAVE A SCARY DAY, EVERYONE."

The radio cut out.

"We're here," Ray mumbled. I halted my vehicle abruptly. Trina stopped just in time. I looked up and saw an enormous, vacant parking lot. It was riddled with stains and trash. Not a single car to be found. I put my car in park, getting out carefully. The gang followed. As we inched closer to the park, I could feel an ominous presence casting itself on the area. This place is bad. I looked up to see an enormous green entryway, with gnarly and sharp spikes protruding from the top and the bottom. It was the mouth of a monster… the mouth to hell. The doors within the mouth were shut. Signs were plastered all over the entrance. Some read:

_DO NOT ENTER_

_ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE_

_WE ARE CLOSED – GET OUT!_

_BEWARE _

Trying to scare us, or an actual warning?

Ray pushed ahead of me. He rapped on the door heavily. There was no answer. He banged again until the door went slightly ajar. The door swung open, startling everyone, including Ray. A hefty, scaly green monster emerged from the entrance. _What the fuck is that thing? _It had pointy horns that resembled those of a ram, glowing yellow eyes, and pointed teeth showing from his bottom jaw. This thing was horrifying.

"Can't you read, kid? We're closed today!" The creature's voice thundered. It was deep, but somewhat human.

"Oh, I know," Ray smirked. He had something planned. "These humans are here to object the wedding!"

_Did… did Ray just… _

"You're a human too, you brat. I don't have time for this," the monster growled.

"Ray, what are you _doing_?!" I whispered to him angrily, making sure the cretin couldn't hear me.

"Trust me," Ray winked. His eyes flashed the same glowing red that I witnessed last night. He turned to the monster. "I am NOT human, you disgusting wretch. I'm a freak just like you!"

"Hmm," the green… thing uttered.

"As I said, these humans are objecting the wedding. They are all enemies to the groom," Ray bellowed, puffing his chest out to the creature. The creature grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up.

"Guards!" The monster screamed. More beasts like him emerged from the doors. One of them snagged me. The rest clutched Katie, Sarah, and Harrison. _Damn it, Ray._ What are you doing? Wait, where did Trina and Daniel go? Did they leave us here? Did they turn on us too? "To the dungeon with you skinbags."

The large beasts dragged us into the entrance of the park. There were rides scattered around. All of which were not working at the moment, probably because of the wedding. We were being hauled down the winding dirt paths. Their strong claws tore into my clothes. What was Ray thinking?! Now we'll never save Amy.

The monsters stopped when we reached a woodland area. The first monster said something in an incomprehensible language and carted Ray away from us. He gave me another wink as he was being taken somewhere away from us. Sarah cried out for him, but he didn't respond. The other beasts continued to tow us deeper into the woods. This was starting to hurt. I shut my eyes briefly.

When I opened them, the area we were in shined an eerie blue color. I saw a huge lake in the center of the region. It lit up the surrounding trees. Their spiky branches looked like hands reaching out for us. I noticed a broken down vehicle somewhere in the distance. One by one, the horrible monsters began to throw my friends into the lake. Katie was first. She sank almost immediately, as if being flushed down an enormous toilet. The rest of the gang were tossed in until it was my turn. I held my breath all the way down.

_This can't be good._


	23. Leap of Faith

**so close to the climax i can almost taste it~**

**also, i can't wait to write the next chapter :D **

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><p>Before I knew it, I felt myself torrent from the raging blue waters. I was expelled rather forcefully. I shut my eyes as I impacted onto the cold, hard ground. I slammed into the floor, landing on my face. That hurt a lot. I rubbed my aching face on the surface and groaned in agony. The cold floor felt nice on my burning visage. In the midst of my pain, I noticed something odd. I wasn't soaking wet. I wasn't even damp. Was that even a lake?<p>

I lifted my head and opened my eyes. The room was dimly lit from the blue hole. Unlike the forest, which lit up rather harshly, this cave was very weak on its light. I heard a scraping noise coming from behind me. I spun around to see that it was just Harrison and Katie. They rushed towards me and plopped down by my side.

"Jillian!" Katie called. Her voice echoed in the cave-like structure. "Where are we?"

"The dungeon, I guess," I shrugged, looking around the room, at least what I could see of it.

"Why did Ray do that?!" Harrison growled, pounding his fists into the ground. "Now we'll never save Annie!"

"Amy, Harrison. Her name is Amy," I rolled my eyes. He pouted and turned away.

"_Amy?_" A voice echoed. It was deep and raspy, yet somehow familiar. It was close by, but not close enough that I could see where it was coming from.

"Y-yes," I stammered. "Who said that?"

"_Come a little closer, will you? Move forward_," the disembodied voice bellowed. I stood up and began to move towards the enigma. Katie pulled on my pants leg, as if to tell me I shouldn't… but I knew that I had to. I felt a droplet of water run down my back. It must have come from the stalagmites… stalactites? I don't know the difference. The further from the soft light I went, the less I could see. My eyes always had trouble adjusting to the darkness right away. "_To your right._"

I turned to my right, as the voice indicated. I could barely make out a figure. I rubbed my eyes a bit, trying to help them adjust. As the figure came into view, I had to hold my jaw into place. He was almost identical to Slappy in every way. Except for his clothing, which only could be described as… the complete opposite. He was wearing torn up blue jeans, sneakers, and a plaid shirt. Not to mention, his hair was stringy and frizzed, not sculpted. It's pretty obvious that this wasn't Slappy. His nose was too big, his one eye was blue, and his voice was far too deep. Not to mention, Slappy doesn't look like a lumberjack crossed with a hipster. This doppelganger was chained by his wrists to the wall.

"Who are you?" I asked the dummy. He looked up at me with his single, sapphire eye.

"My name is Mr. Wood," he replied in a rasp. "But you may call me _Wally_."

"Where are we, Wally?" I looked around a bit more. Mostly everything was shrouded in darkness.

"Gee, I don't know, I thought my chains gave it away," he remarked with a chuckle. He sure was sarcastic.

"_You're such a prick, Wally_," another voice chimed from the opposite side of the room. It sounded like it came from a young boy.

"Oh, do shut up, you repulsive _Horror_," he hissed back at the voice.

"_Can you fellas stop fighting please?_" A second voice rang. It was deep and sounded pretty dopey.

"Yeah, just chill out," I heard Sarah call with a shaky voice. She seemed close to the second voice.

"Sarah?! Where are you?" I cried. I heard two sets of footsteps walking towards me. One set was small and clacked on the hard surface as it stepped. The second was more human, presumably Sarah. As they came closer, I could see Sarah's face in the dim light. Beside her stood another ventriloquist's dummy. He has messy brown hair and donned a turtleneck. Sarah had tears streaming from her face.

"Guys, this… this is Dennis," she sniffled. "He saved me and Amy from Slappy five years ago."

I saw Wally roll his eye and make a disgusted face. He sure did act like Slappy.

"Hey, everyone," Dennis waved with one hand, holding Sarah's hand with the other. He had a bit of a southern accent. Reminded me of Goofy. I saw a small silhouette coming up behind her.

"Sarah, watch out!" Katie yelled to her. She must have seen it too.

"Hey now, relax, it's just Rocky," Dennis reassured her, as the third living dummy emerged from the darkness. He was dressed rather spiffy, with a black pinstriped suit, silky black tie, and a fedora to match the suit. He had a mean look, but didn't seem harmful. "Say hi, Rocky."

"Hello," he replied, also with an accent. His accent was reminiscent of that of a gangster in those mafia films. He had a gruff sounding voice to match his exterior.

"The family's all here," Wally snidely commented.

"_Not… quite_," yet another voice echoed. It was feminine… and recognizable. It can't be.

A scraping noise, followed by the sound of a dragging corpse approached from afar. I couldn't see the silhouette yet, but the glare of a knife stood out. I made out the reflection in the knife. It was a monster. _A familiar monster_. She was making her way to Katie. I could see Katie backing away as the figure got closer. Her face was full of terror.

"_I've got you now, Katie… and you know what I'm gonna do to you?_" She growled, making guttural noises as she spoke. The sound of the knife clicking against the floor was horrifying. I have to stop her. As she got closer to the light, it was just as I feared. Her bottom half was gone and she was missing an eye. She was pretty destroyed, but she was still alive and still the same monster that I remember. "_I'm gonna cut off your legs too!_"

"Mary-Ellen!" I exclaimed. It got her attention. She looked at me, bloodthirsty. She cackled and giggled uncontrollably.

"_Jillian, don't worry. When I'm done cutting your sister's legs off, I'm going to take your eyeball_!" She guffawed, slowly making her way towards Katie. Katie shut her eyes tightly.

I saw a larger silhouette come barreling from the darkness. It had an animal-like posture, with ram horns and spiky hair. Its eyes glowed yellow in the shadows. It also was carrying a bag of some sort, how peculiar. The bag's shadow flung around as the silhouette sprinted across the cave.

The shadow eventually came into view as it got closer to the blue lake. It was one of those green monsters from earlier, though much shorter and less bulky. He was wearing a torn black shirt and ripped up khaki shorts. He snagged Mary-Ellen off of the ground and tossed her knife far away so she couldn't retrieve it. The look on her face was priceless. She was mortified.

"Leave them alone, you Raggedy-Ann looking piece of shit!" The monster snarled, baring his sharp, yellow teeth at her.

"I thought you hated humans, _Garrison_!" Mary-Ellen growled back.

"I do… B-but they want to help my only friend in this park! Do you even _have_ friends, you putrid pile of plastic?" Garrison roared, his yellow eyes narrowed at Mary-Ellen with disdain. I saw Mary-Ellen turn her head away from him to avoid his cold stare.

"Amy… Amy is your friend?" I hesitantly asked the beast. He turned to me.

"Yeah," he sighed. He released the evil doll from his clutches. She clunked as she hit the ground, followed by a sound of pain. "I want to get that son of a birch for throwing me in here."

"Why did you get thrown in here, exactly?" I questioned him.

"Well… I was walkin' around Horrorland, as usual. I was told that the park was closed for the day because of a wedding or something, so I didn't have to do my job. Anyway, I was just wondering around, minding my business. As I was walking, I found this here bag just lying on the floor. So, I snatched it. I don't think the Horrorland Police were too thrilled with me taking it, and they thought I was stealing—"

"You _did_ steal it, though," Dennis interrupted him. Garrison smacked him upside the head, causing it to fall off. Katie and Harrison let out a disgruntled gasp. Dennis's arms frantically waved about. Sarah grabbed his head and placed it back onto his shoulders.

"It happens a lot," Sarah shrugged.

"ANYWAY, before I was interrupted… The feds thought I was causing trouble, and since I wasn't technically s'posed to be out and about today, they thought it would be best for the entire park if they threw me in the dungeon for the day. They tore up my clothes and took my special belt, too! But they let me keep this stupid, girly bag," he huffed, finishing his story.

"What's in the bag, anyway?" Harrison asked Garrison.

Garrison took the bag and emptied its interior onto the ground. A set of keys, an old book, a wooden stake, a silver crucifix, some garlic, and a satchel of golden coins fell out.

"What a load of junk!" Garrison snarled, making a _tch_ noise as he rolled his giant golden eyes.

"No," Wally whispered. "It is not junk."

"What are you blabbering about, Mr. Morningwood?" Gary snapped. Wally's eye widened.

"That book… Amy _did_ retrieve it," Wally continued to mutter. He looked at me. "And those keys… try them on my lock."

I plucked the keys from the pile of rubbish. I didn't know which key was which. I approached Wally with the keys and individually tried every key on his bindings. He stared at me as I worked the lock. Why did Slappy need so many keys, anyway? I started to get frustrated after every key didn't work. I was down to the last one.

_CLICK_

The cuff unlocked, releasing Wally from the chain on his right hand. Of course it was the last one. I plunged the key into the second lock, liberating the ventriloquist's dummy. He rubbed his wooden wrists and took a deep breath. He cocked his head back and wailed with laughter. It echoed through the entire confine, causing the spikes on the ceiling to drip water at an alarming rate. He smiled with glee after he finished his maniacal laugh. He grabbed the book from the pile of items and opened it. He started flipping through the pages. His happy face quickly shifted to a frown.

"Hm, it appears he's stolen some of the most valuable pages," Wally hissed. He flipped through more pages. "Oh dear, he even took the one that can turn him into a… _nevermind_. Buuut, being the incredible dunce that he is, he forgot to take the page that can revert him back."

"Back from… what exactly?" I inquired.

"Hopefully we won't have to find out," he mumbled. "But if we do, we have the spell to reverse any of the other spells he has cast. We need to move quickly."

"How do we get out of here?" I looked around, but couldn't find an exit. There was a broken staircase, but the door was sealed shut.

"We would need to leave through the pool," Rocky answered bleakly.

"I already tried that, termites-for-brains!" Garrison yowled.

"Rocky's right. We would need to combine our weight in order to force ourselves out the opposite end," Wally retorted. He took a step towards the bright blue oasis. The rest of us followed. "We need you too, Mary-Ellen."

"Bite me," she spat, giving him a dirty look.

"Please," he cooed. "We want revenge on Slappy, do we not? He's taken our sight, our dignity, and he's taken _far_ more from you, hasn't he?"

"I-I guess," her face turned a bright red. "Alright, fine, but I don't want to deal with the bratty sisssters ever again after this!"

"Consider it done, bitch," I murmured.

We all stood in front of the puddle, holding hands in unity. I held onto Wally and Katie's hands. Time to take a leap of fate. We're going to get through this together. We're going to stop that miserable puppet once and for all. Your time is up.

"On the count of three," Wally said, gripping my hand tightly. "One."

_Get ready._

"Two."

_Get set._

"Three."

_Jump._

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><p><strong>If you can guess where I got a bit of Mary-Ellen's dialogue from, you win a cookie :3<strong>


	24. Hearing Voices

**hey guys! sorry for taking so long**

**it's been a rough few weeks of papers and finals and other things ._. **

**plus this chapter was hard to get into**

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><p>The petite dressing room was dark, just the way I like it. The accompaniment of a small lamplight gave the shadowy room a certain edge that I found irresistibly bleak. The door was cracked and broken, rotting away. The room itself was incredibly dingy, certainly not fit for someone such as myself. Though, I admit, I enjoy the distastefully discolored walls and antiquity of it all. After all, we seem to share that. As for this mirror, I can say that it's the only pristine thing in this room. Its condition, unscathed and completely clean. I share those attributes as well, I suppose. I've always hated being alone in one room for so long, though. No one to speak or complain to, no one to tell what to do. It's pretty… boring. I hate being bored.<p>

I gazed at myself in the immaculate mirror. I must admit, being a human has its perks. Perhaps, this form suited me better. Tall, as I should be. The freckles were a bit of a nice touch, to be honest. Though they made me look more like my brother than I'm comfortable with. The only downside is the emotional turmoil I could perpetually sink into… and I can easily be damaged. Skin is so fragile, you know. But, so is a heart, which unfortunately I now possess. I could feel it beat inside of my chest cavity, ever so slightly. It beats for _her_. I just knew for a fact that this heart of mine was blacker than the ashes of a recently deceased grandmother. A normal heart isn't capable of secreting and pumping the blood that I have through these frail veins of mine. It also explained why it was such a faint heartbeat, and an even fainter pulse. I could easily be mistaken for a corpse… if I didn't look so goddamn good.

_Oh, shut up. You're not as good-looking as you think. _

Yes, I am! Who are you to judge?!

**_She has a point. You aren't that perfect. _**

Shut your disembodied mouths, you ingrates! There's nothing wrong with having a little confidence in your form. At least I _have_ a form. All you are, you ignorant peons, are voices. Not real.

_Then why are you talking to us?_

**_Yeah, what are you… crazy or something?!_**

Maybe. Maybe I am. I've always thought I wasn't right in the noggin, but I've never heard you whiny bitches rattling around in my head so boisterously until recently. Your voices were mere whispers, and ever since I turned human, they've been like sub-woofers on full blast. I can't stand your annoying speeches any longer. I don't need to be reminded of you. I have someone else that I'd like to think about, and you're distracting me.

_Oh please, you think that she's thinking about you too?_

It doesn't matter. I want to think about her. Not you. Not anymore.

**_What's wrong with us? We're not good enough for you?_**

No, you're annoying.

_She doesn't love you, you know._

You don't know that.

**_And you don't love her. _**

_We know that. _

I_ do _love her.

**_You know that she's only a slave to you. _**

That isn't true.

_Is too._

I'm not arguing with you bratty voices again. Stay the fuck out of my head!

"Sire?" A delicate voice quivered from behind me. It caught me off guard.

"What?!" I barked, turning around to see one of those filthy Horrors. A puny one.

"I-I was just wondering if you wanted anything before the wedding?" It responded, stammering. It shriveled in fear at the sound of my voice.

"No, I'm fine," I scoffed, adjusting my boutonniere in the mirror. "Make sure that Amy is prepared, though. And that everyone is in their proper places."

"Yes, sir," the disgusting Horror nodded and slunk out of the room. The door shut silently. Quiet once again.

I fastened my bowtie, making sure that it fit just right. I can't have it constricting my slender neck too tightly this evening. My suit caressed my slim form elegantly, as it usually does. I'm still not used to this body yet. I could easily change forms whenever I please thanks to that spell, but I want to get used to this body. I_ want_ to be this for as long as I may live.

I dug my hand into my inner coat pocket until I found the pages of the book I had saved. Staring at my body reminded to check if I remembered to carry them on my person. I glared at the particular one that gave me this form. It felt warm in my palm for some bizarre reason. I would simply relinquish this page, but with Amy's blood mark stained into its fibers, she and I are bound by this piece of paper. If anything were to happen to it, that bond would be eliminated. I stuck it back into my inner pocket.

I looked at the page that turned Jimmy into a mindless servant. I'm unsure of how long it's lasted. I never casted it again, so it's plausible it has worn off. Oh well. Pity that I may have to use this on Amy if she chooses not to cooperate once more. She's hard to endure sometimes… but this will solve her disobedience once and for all. I will not have yet another bride defy me. I shoved the page into the pocket on the outside of my jacket.

The last page… oh, this page. That idiot Mortman couldn't keep this book and its power away from me for long. Good thing he gave it to Amy. She's not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to magic. The power in this one page could make me the strongest thing in Horrorland… maybe the world!

_You shouldn't use that…_

I don't want to _have_ to use it. But I have a feeling in this inhuman gut of mine that's telling me I may have to.

**_Do you know how much damage you will cause if you do? All of the lives you will destroy? The homes? Your own bride that you claim to love?_**

I know, I know! Quiet!

_You should just get rid of it, Slappy._

No!

**_Do it! Get rid of it!_**

No, no, no, no! I said no! You are not in control of me. I am not a puppet any longer. There are no strings on me!

_KNOCK _

_KNOCK_

"What is it?" I bellowed, turning away from the mirror. I slipped the page of the book into my other inner pocket. The door creaked open. Another brutish Horror stepped in, carrying a… familiar young boy by the nape of his neck.

"Master, I found this impudent little boy trespassing in Horrorland. He was with a group of other kiddies. He says that they're gonna try to crash your wedding… and I don't doubt that that's why _he's_ here too!" The deep-voiced cretin growled, throwing the boy to the cold, cobblestone floor. He uttered a sound of pain as he hit the ground.

"Leave him and get out," I hissed, venom dripping through my words like the fangs of a snake. I do not need this on my wedding day. Not again.

The monster closed the door without a word, leaving the brat in the small room with me. I noticed he wasn't inhaling or exhaling… who was this boy? _What _was this boy?

"Hello… Slappy," the boy stated. He looked up at me with icy, blue eyes. They entranced me. How does he know me? Do I know him? His familiarity hasn't set in.

"Who are you and why have you ignored the signs? Horrorland is closed today, kid," I scoffed, turning back to the mirror. I combed my fiery hair with my bony fingers as I waited for a response. I studied him in the mirror as he lifted himself up.

"You don't know me, but the people of my town have talked about you quite a bit," the boy smirked. "My name is Ray."

"Your town, huh? With that complexion, I could assume you're from, uh… Vampire Village?"

"Try Dark Falls," Ray responded coldly. Dark Falls… never heard of it.

"What do you want Ray of… Darkness Falls or whatever? Don't you know I've got a wedding to attend to… very soon, in fact?"

"Oh, I know," he chuckled. "I'm here to object your marriage personally."

"Heh, oh are you?" I retorted with a giggle, turning around to face him. His long blonde hair draped over his face, pouring from an old bowler hat that sat gracefully on his head. I stepped towards him. "What about the group of other wedding crashers, hm?"

"They wouldn't be able to stop you like I can. I had to make sure they were safely taken somewhere far away from you," Ray rasped. I took a step closer. I looked down into those cold blue ponds of his.

"The dungeon isn't exactly safe," I laughed in his face. I began to circle him, like a shark waiting for its prey to sink. "Besides, how could just _one_ person stop _me_?"

"Because I'm not just a person," he narrowed his eyes at me, following my every movement.

"Then what _are _you?"

"A monster… just. Like. You!" He raised his voice. His eyes began to glow a bloody red. I hate when people dare to raise their voice at me. I grabbed his stringy blonde locks, grasping them tightly. He squirmed slightly in my grip.

"Listen, you brat. I am _no_ monster. Whatever you are, you can't possibly stop me from betrothing the girl of my dreams," I locked eyes with Ray. His blood-red rubies met my emeralds.

"I'm going to stop you," he muttered. "I owe it to Sarah."

"Sarah?!" I released him. Sarah… Sarah Kramer? Amy's ill-mannered sister? It can't be. "Sarah Kramer?"

"Yes," he barked, rubbing his head in the spot where I pulled his mane.

I tossed my head back and let out a long laugh. I couldn't help myself.

"Are you… _seeing_ Sarah?!" I asked through giggles.

"It's none of your business," he growled, looking away from me.

"You _are_, aren't you?" I chortled. I couldn't believe this.

"Enough!" He shouted. He pointed a finger at me in anger. "I'm going to stop you from hurting Amy!"

"_Hurt_ her? I woudn't dare!" I screamed back at him. Then it hit me… the hypnosis spell. My eyes widened at my brilliant thought. I don't need to use it on Amy just yet. I can use it on this obnoxious little pest.

I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the page. I gave a smug smirk to Ray. He looked at me with confusion in his blood-filled oceans he calls eyes. I laughed to myself and glared at the page in my hands.

"_Kalla ruha, et remis marri donnis. Amaru servusa pareru, mea kharu karrano!"_

I uttered the words on the page with emphasis and power. Ray's head hung down, almost lifeless. I could tell he has no will. He raised his head slowly. His red eyes vanished and were replaced with that familiar green which appeases my eyes. That spiraling… the mindlessness… Oh, how it felt good to see that nuisance fall under my control.

"Ray," I began. "Make sure that my wedding guests are in their proper places."

He silently nodded and exited the room. That wedding crasher is now my puppet to control. And with the rest of his little group detained in my dungeon with that lousy brother of mine, nothing can stop me.

Not only will I be the king of this wretched park, but I will have the only girl I have ever cared for. And if she decides to deny me… then she will be my mindless puppet like Ray is now. And… if ANYONE objects, I will use my ace in the hole. I will become a monster to be feared. No one will object to _me_. Once I become king, I _will_ be feared by all. And if that isn't enough, then that spell will MAKE them fear me.

Even you, _Kris_… and you too, _Lindy_.

_How can we fear you…_

**_When it is you who fears us?_**

* * *

><p><strong>Slappy is a hypocrite :3<strong>

**also, Lindsay and Kris aren't actually talking to him. He's just... _hearing voices BD_**

**_I ALSO TOTALLY FUCKED UP AND CALLED LINDY LINDSAY... I WAS TIRED SORRY_**


	25. Stockholm Syndrome

**blehhh short chapter**

**kinda losing my mojo :I **

**hopefully the next few chapters will actually be more interesting**

* * *

><p>I stood in front of the reflective surface that was mounted onto the wall. I sighed deeply, closing my eyes and wishing this was just another one of those awful dreams I've been having. Alas, that's not the case. I could hear droplets of water falling from afar, making a <em>plink<em> sound as they hit a surface. I let the atmosphere surround me as I tried to assess my situation. I already knew there was no way out of this. Two guards were mounted firmly outside of the door, posted on opposite sides of it to ensure that no one could get in or out, including myself. I sighed again, slowly opening my eyes so I could look at myself. Or… at least the remnants of myself.

The silky black dress embraced my body tightly, bringing out my curves, _or lack thereof_. The dress itself wasn't too long, as opposed to normal wedding fashion. It only went down to about my ankles. The dress had elegant ruffles around the neckline that curled down and wrapped around the end of the gown. The dress didn't have puffy shoulders or glitter or anything like that. It did, however, come with a transparent black shawl with an iridescent ruby in the center. The shawl, for some bizarre reason, came with a hood that also sported a veil that hung down when the hood was up. It was a weird accessory. The whole attire was more sexual than anything remotely wedding appropriate. I didn't even see myself when I gazed upon the mirror.

I always hoped I would end up married one day. I just didn't think it would be _today_.

I heard a woman's voice chirping from the other side of the door, speaking with the guards. I could barely make out their conversation. There was a pause, followed by a light knocking on the large wooden door. I pondered as to who that voice belonged to.

"Come in," I beckoned. The door opened, creaking ever so slightly. From the mirror, I saw that it was a Horror. Not just any Horror, though. It was Miriam. She was wearing a black gown that covered more of her than my own wedding dress covered me. I turned around to face her, rotating slowly. It was difficult to move in heels.

"Oh, darlin'," she gasped, covering her large mouth with her clawed hand. She strode toward me with her golden orbs for eyes glistening in the dim light of the room. "You look… why, you look absolutely gorgeous."

"T-thank you," I stammered, smirking graciously. I didn't think I was gorgeous.

"I just thought I would pay the bride-to-be a visit before the wedding," she beamed, her atrocious sharp teeth also gleaming in the light. They're admittedly still scary to me. "How are you doing, sugar? Excited?"

"Well," I began, hesitant to admit my feelings towards this whole ordeal. Judging by how close she and Slappy are, I was afraid that she would squeal on me. "Um, of course. Super excited."

I lied. I think she could tell.

"I'm so happy for you," she giggled. _I guess she couldn't_. "Slappy's a handful, but he's not so bad. I'm sure you two will be happy together for a long time."

"Hey, Miriam?" I wanted to question her about her history with him. I wanted to see if what Mr. Wood told me is true. She cocked her head to the side as I asked her. Her sharp animalistic ears perked as well. "Do you and Slappy have a… well, do you have a history together?"

She hesitated for a bit. There was a brief pause until she finally answered.

"Well, if I'm being honest," she sighed heavily, turning her head away from me. "Yes, we do."

"Not to sound rude but… would you mind telling me about it? I'd like to know what I'm getting into," I fibbed slightly. I knew what I was getting into, at least to some extent. But I wanted to know her perspective.

"Alright, we may want to sit down for this," she breathed, motioning to the small bench that sat between the mirror and the wall. She sat down first, patting the open space next to her. I made my way over to it, trying to move in these freaking heels. I plopped down besides the Horror and she took a deep breath.

"It was many, many years ago. Far before he left Horrorland and met you. He and his awful twin brother ruled this park and all of my kind within it. No one knew where they came from or how, but we all loved them. I was just a young lil' Horror… about your age in Horror years, when I met him. Oh, I was _so_ excited. The brothers were having a sort of, er, 'meet and greet,' and I just _had_ to go to it. As you would probably guess, many Horrors and monsters came out to meet them. I kept pushing and pushing through the crowd, but was never in a close enough range to actually meet them, let alone see them. I felt sad, so I went to get some rotcorn to cheer myself up. As I received it, I heard a little voice coming from behind me asking for one after me. I looked down and it was none other than Slappy himself! I could feel my heart melt as I saw him for the first time."

She blushed her normal dark green as she was smiling during her story. I could tell that she really liked him.

"I knelt down and greeted him. His initial reaction was a bit… hurtful, calling me a 'thing' and being rather rude altogether. Tears started to stream down my face and I ran to the nearest bench and just had a good ole' cry. Then, he sat next to me and patted my back and apologized. He said he was just stressed with all these creatures crowding him and didn't mean to be so rude. We began to talk and eventually became good friends. We had a strong, unbreakable bond. He taught me everything I know and became sort of like a father-figure to me. I never had a father, so he has always been important in that aspect. Of course… I had more feelings for him than that, but I never really let that develop. I'm not much into romance.

But he was a trouble-maker and got kicked out of the park for it. Which caused his brother, Wally, to leave too. It was quiet in Horrorland… or, Panic Park as it was called back in the day, after that. The park was changed and revamped several times after their departure. After several decades, there was no word of their return. It wasn't until just a few years ago that Slappy came back to us, but without his brother. Slappy had changed… _for the worst_. He was starting to act exactly like his brother. He told me that I needed to marry him so he could rule again. I told him I couldn't do that, and that he was a father-figure to me. His reaction was… unpleasant to say the least. He thrashed and hollered and simply went insane… screaming at me and demanding that I marry him. He smacked me and then stormed off when I refused him again."

She started to tear up, but quickly realized and wiped them away. Horror tears weren't like human tears. They were a bright green, almost mucus-y.

"Before he brought you here, I saw him again. This time, with his brother. He brought him to the Stagger Inn and found me at the front desk. Slappy greeted me, less aggressive and violent. I didn't want to see him again, but he and I started to talk. I think that him coming back again… well, it ignited something in me that I only felt when I first met him."

"How are the two of you so close again after all of that?" I asked out of curiosity.

Normally, if someone were to freak out on me like that after how much I admired them, I would cut them off. Then again… the same thing sort of happened with me. Except I got cut when I refused him. But I promised Mr. Wood I would do as Slappy says until he can find a way to help me… well, to help me to help himself.

"You'll see someday. When you make a bond with someone, no matter what happens, it will never break. No matter what shenanigans happen," she smirked. I let her words sink in. "As I said, he's a handful. A wildcard… but honey, listen to me when I say that he's a better guy than he lets off. Remember that."

"Thank you, Miriam," I said. She extended her arms and gave me a large hug. She was warm, surprisingly. For someone with a rough exterior, she gave soft hugs.

"You're welcome, sweet pea. I'll see you when you're waltzing down that aisle. I can't wait," she patted my head softly. My hair was in curls for the wedding. I hated curls.

Miriam walked out of the door, blowing me a kiss as she exited. The door shut quietly. I was back to being alone again. The faint sound of water dripping continued as I remained seated in the bench. Being left to my own devices, my mind began to ponder.

As much as I wanted to be saved, I couldn't help but fall for my captor. Perhaps I was suffering a case of Stockholm Syndrome… or maybe I truly was beginning to have feelings for Slappy after all of these years.

_No._

_I don't want to accept that. _

But if it's true, what will happen when I finally get saved? Will I miss him? Will I go back to him? What if I never get saved? I'll have to spend my life with this psycho? But if I love him, wouldn't it be nice? What if he slices me again? What if I'm just a slave to him? …_Do I enjoy that factor?_

I'm of two minds about this. I just hope whichever side of my brain I choose to stick with, it'll be the right choice.


	26. Into the Woods

**so close~**

* * *

><p>The force of our combined might caused the mysterious blue lake to discharge us to the other side of its portal-like construct. We were expelled far into the air before finally landing onto the ground. I landed on my back, causing a foray of pain to envelop my spinal cord and my shoulder blades. The dummies landed on their feet like felines. We were back into the forest where we were initially thrown in. It still maintained its eerie atmosphere, with the blue light of the pond making it seem as if the shadows of the trees were extending themselves towards us, reaching out to snatch us away. The air was thick and ominous, with a slight autumn breeze sending shivers all over my body. There were no guards or beasts roaming the area. It was quiet.<p>

_And no, fuck you if you think I'm going to say 'too quiet.' Because it isn't._

I slowly lifted myself from the ground, wiping the dirt from the back of my jeans as I stood up. I helped Katie get back on her feet. She groaned as she cleaned the earth and other debris from her clothes. I saw Dennis help Sarah up, while Rocky struggled to lift Harrison's fat ass. Garrison was standing by the lake next to Wally, whose eyes were glued to that book. Mary-Ellen sat idly by the pond, glaring into it with a strange sorrowful woe. I don't pity her.

I decided to walk past her to meet up with Wally so that we can devise a plan. I made my way over and felt something firm smack my legs, causing me to stumble. Mary-Ellen let out an evil little snicker as I fixed my posture. I shot her a dirty look and continued walking. Wally was muttering something under his breath, presumably to either Garrison or just to himself. The book he was holding let off an eerie green glow. It didn't do that earlier.

"Hey," I silently called to them. Garrison turned his enormous green head to me and smirked, while Wally only glanced at me over his shoulders briefly. "So, what's the plan?"

"Well," Wally said, his eyes still attached to the book's illumination. "The only way we're going to be able to crash my brother's wedding and retrieve Amy is to… well, simply crash the wedding."

"No problem! I'm good at crashing stuff," Garrison grinned. He looked oddly proud of himself.

"There _is_ a problem. There will be Horrorland guards SWARMING the park, and of course they will be stationed at the Cathedral, so it's useless for all of us to barge in there recklessly. Even with disguises of some sort, no one is allowed in the park at all."

"Even if we all combine our efforts, like we did to escape the prison?" I asked. Wally shook his large wooden head.

"No good," he mumbled. He shut the book. "I was hoping this book would have a teleportation spell of some sort, but I suppose it is in one of the other books the author had written."

"There are multiple spell books like this?!"

"More than you could ever dream, my dear," Wally sneered. That made me think of all of the other possibilities that could be laden within the other books. How many others were there? What kind of magic could they contain?

I looked off into the distance and noticed that the broken down truck was still propped behind some of the trees. _Why would a broken down truck leave the vicinity anyway…?_

"What about that red truck over there? At least I think it's red," I pointed, hoping they could see through the shadowy woodland.

"Nice thinking, Jillian," Wally commented. I wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic. "But it appears that it may be broken down."

"Can't we fix it?" I questioned, in hopes that it's possible.

"It's… plausible, if we were to have an engineer on our hands," he rubbed his ligneous jaw with his free hand.

"I could probably fix it," Garrison stated. "I fix stuff all the time."

"Since when are you an engineer, hm? Aren't you a mere ticket taker?" Wally sneered.

"I'm a part time ride mechanic," Garrison growled, then hushed his voice. "But keep that on the down-low. No one's supposed to know that."

"Whatever then," Wally sighed. "We don't have much time, so you and Jillian get over there and fix it up. I'll keep thinking."

Garrison and I began to make our way over to the deserted truck. I was nervous to be around him. He's a strange looking creature. His eyes were enormous and his teeth were gnashing and sharp. He seemed kind, but after facing other monsters like him… I don't trust what he can do. But I'm pretty sure he was able to see in the dark, so he could help guide us through the woods.

"So… what are you? Some kind of ram demon?" I asked haphazardly.

"Uh… I'm a Horror. You know… as in _Horrorland_?" He sarcastically huffed.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't live in _Humanland_, so I didn't know the first name of the place you lived in was also the name of your species."

He laughed in response to my piss-poor attempt at a joke.

"Good one," he retorted, giving me a friendly nudge on the shoulder. "You'd be a pretty good clown here in Horrorland."

"I've always wanted to be a clown," I muttered. Is it bad that that's true? I've always dreamed of going to Clown School and getting those big, over-sized floppy shoes.

We reached the truck. It was tangled in some forestry. Vines whipped around the hood and the left headlight was smashed. The tires were fine, though. Someone must have crashed here and never came back to their car. It was completely deserted.

_BUMP_

A noise from the bed of the truck startled me. I looked at the Horror. I wondered if it's the truck's original owner. Dead from the crash and coming back to life to scare people away from his vehicle. Or maybe a passenger he kept locked up in the back, who never escaped his kidnapper's clutches. I have an overactive imagination… but I nodded to Garrison to check it out. I stayed close behind him as he inched towards the bed.

_BUMP_

There it was again. I hope it isn't a zombie or another monster like Garrison. You know, I just realized something… Garrison's name is way too close to Harrison's. I think I'll just call him Gary. If I call Harrison by "Harry," his dad's nickname for him, he'd probably kill me. He hates his dad.

Gary and I got closer and closer to the truck's wide back. He peeked into the bed of the truck.

"BOO!" Two voices screeched, jumping out from the truck bed. I uttered a shriek and Gary fell to the ground, startled. The two voices hooted and giggled. I couldn't see who they were.

"We got you good!" A young man's voice laughed. Wait a second… _was that who I think it was?_

"Prankster Siblings for life!" A young woman snickered, giving the other figure a high five. _It was… _

"Trina? Daniel?! Is that you?" I inquired, my heart still leaping out of my chest from that scare.

"Jillian?" Trina gasped, her voice shifted from giggly to her normal, almost monotonous voice.

"Holy shit," Daniel gulped. The two of them got out of the abandoned truck's bed and greeted me with a group hug. I couldn't believe it.

"How the _hell_ did you two get into the park? I thought you left us behind!" I yelled at them.

"Well, it wasn't easy, but, uh…," the young boy started, glancing at his sister in hopes she would finish his sentence.

Before either of them could speak, I heard the group hustling over towards us. The leaves crunched from underneath their feet. I could see the radiance of the book illuminate their faces as they rushed to meet us.

"Is everyone okay? We heard a scream," Dennis called. The crew halted in their tracks as finally they reached us.

I looked at Trina and Daniel, hoping they would explain themselves. Their mouths hung agape and their dark eyes widened. They were surveying Rocky, who was gaping back at them with his wooden eyebrows fixed in a surprised, yet happy state. The siblings knelt down and embraced the dummy, laughing happily and shedding a tear of joy or two. Rocky laughed along with them. I'm sure that if he could cry, he would be doing so right now. He must belong to them, just like how Dennis belonged to Amy and Mary-Ellen belonged to Katie. It was like a little reunion. It almost made me want to cry too. Almost.

"Rocky! We thought we lost you!" Trina spoke through her laughter. She wiped away a tear and stood up. Daniel followed.

"It's good to see you, kids," Rocky blissfully retorted, adjusting his hat.

"How did you get here, Rocky?" Daniel chirped, excited to see his long lost friend.

"There's no time to explain," Wally responded shrewdly. "Is the truck fixable?"

Gary was headfirst into the hood of the truck.

"Yep, just needs a little Horror touch!" He replied, his voice muffled from being inside of the vehicle's hood. I watched as he closed the hood and jumped into the passenger's seat from the mangled front window.

"How did you two bypass the guards?" Katie questioned the siblings.

"Oh, right!" Daniel exclaimed. He was sidetracked by seeing Rocky again. "Well, when Ray decided to be a dick and turn on us, me and Trina decided to sneak our way in. I noticed a hole in the wall besides the entrance and snuck my way into it. I broke down a bit more of the wall, 'cause it was pretty weak, and pulled Trina's huge ass through it too."

"Daniel," Trina growled. She narrowed her ferocious eyes at him.

"Sorry, sis," he chuckled. "Anyway, we carefully made our way through the park, but those huge green monsters found us and chased us through this enormous place! We got pretty lost."

"We eventually found refuge in the woods. Those things didn't follow us in there," Trina continued. "Then we spotted this old truck and hid out here until someone or some_thing_ found us."

"We heard some monsters coming into the woods and by that blue lake. They threw people in," Daniel commented. "I'm assuming it was you guys."

"You bet your ass, Danny Boy," Harrison snidely remarked.

"Please never fucking call me that again," Daniel's large eyes squinted angrily at Harrison, who shrugged in response.

"Wonderful, the gang's all here," Wally scoffed and rolled his one, vivacious blue eye.

I noticed Gary fiddling inside the glove box. He pulled out wires of all sorts of colors and began splicing them together, presumably trying to conduct a powerful enough surge to start the car. I wasn't sure exactly what he was doing. I watched someone hijack a car once on a television show, but I had no idea what the process for it was, nor was it something I wanted to know. Hopefully Gary can get the truck fixed. We need to focus on saving Amy and getting out of this place.

"Is the truck operable, yet?" Wally barked to Gary, impatient as all hell. Gary mumbled something in return, still trying to fix it. I couldn't hear him, but Wally sure did. "Insufferable beast."

He sure didn't like Gary.

Wally stared into his book again, speaking words under his breath. He was angry, I could feel it. I don't think he was necessarily angry at the young Horror, though. Not entirely. He had an irate sensation about him that seemed to radiate wherever he went. I would be pissed too if someone stole my eye, imprisoned me, and tore up my clothes… especially if it were someone I was related to. I decided to let him be, to avoid upsetting him further.

The gang stood around unwearyingly by the old, desolate vehicle, chatting casually despite the dreary situation. It was almost like a party. A pretty dead one. Trina and Daniel caught up with Rocky, who seemed to emit a blissful disposition that every one of us needed at a time like this. Mary-Ellen rested by Wally, who clearly did not wish to be around her. Sarah and Dennis were talking to Harrison, seemingly telling him a story by the looks of it. He looked bored. Then there was Katie, who stood aimlessly, staring into the empty forest. I walked up to my sister to give her some company.

"Hey, Katie," I said, propping myself up next to her. She didn't respond. "You alright, sis?"

"Yeah," she whispered hesitantly. "It's just… I dunno."

"Come on, Katie, you can tell me. We've been through a lot together," I reasoned, putting my hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"I just want to get out of here," she confessed. "I don't want to be in this situation anymore."

"I know, Katie. I don't either," I intoned. She started to tear up.

"Why did we have to go after that stupid friend of yours?! I could be home right now, but instead I'm in some creepy forest with my childhood nightmare and a bunch of other monsters! What's so important about this Amy girl anyway? Just let Slappy take her so we can go home!" She quavered angrily with water dripping furiously down her face. Her face grew a shade of red, obviously flustered and upset with me. She broke down and started to burst into tears, falling onto her knees and covering her face. She trembled as she wept.

I knelt down next to her and tried to give her a hug, but she pushed me away, still shielding her face with her other hand.

"Katie," I started, quivering slightly in voice. "Do you remember how I saved you from Slappy and Mary-Ellen three years ago?"

"Y-yeah," she stammered.

"Well, Amy needs my help saving her too," I sighed. "Do you really want her to be taken away by Slappy?"

"I don't know," she whimpered, wiping the tears from her face. "I guess not."

"I know this is a bad situation, but imagine what Amy's going through. She's probably suffering the same amount of torment Mary-Ellen put you through. You may not know her, Katie, but she's a person just like you and me. She needs us," I explained, looking into her distressed blue eyes. She nodded in response.

I heard the engine of the truck roar loudly, vibrating the ground as it rumbled. The one working headlight flashed wildly. _Gary did it._

"It's fixed!" Gary called from inside of the thriving vehicle.

"Ready to do this, sis?" I smirked at Katie.

"Let's do this, sis," she beamed. We stood up together and walked over to the working truck, holding hands in a sisterly fashion.

_Let's finish this. Once and for all._


	27. Amen

**A short, but meaningful chapter**

* * *

><p>I watched my life flash almost suddenly before my eyes. It was as if I were viewing a realistic film detailing every last feature of my existence. It was agonizing to endure. I didn't enjoy many aspects of my life. From the searing depression caused by utter, vicious loneliness, to the dismissal of the root of my problems, being called delusional and mentally unstable by my own psychiatrist. Then of course, was the bane of my existence. The one who put me into this perpetual torment that would haunt me for a half of a decade.<p>

_The one who I am about to marry._

Marriage. A word that once made my heart flutter with anticipation and joy now makes me feel an insane amount of trepidation and ridiculously bitter. A word that I once associated with white doves, a large white dress and my father walking me down the aisle to his new son-in-law as my family gazes at me with wonder and excitement… is now associated with ravens and crows, monsters of all shapes and sizes staring me down in my tiny black dress, as I head down the aisle to wed their king. Perhaps it's bittersweet, in a sense. I'm surprised my parents have been together for so long. They constantly fight and argue, usually over my mental health. My father, stern but loving, doesn't believe that there's anything wrong with me and that I just have an overactive imagination… which isn't much better than outright saying I need psychiatric help, but it'll do. I remember saving up all of my money to buy him a new guitar after Slappy destroyed his old one, which I think got me on his good side. My mom, however, is the one who is paying for Dr. Crier. She thinks that it would be good for me to talk to someone about my "delusions." She's never been a fan of me being a ventriloquist. Even after everyone in the family saw Dennis standing on the table and speaking on his own, they all denied that it happened except for Sarah. They made me send Dennis away so that they could bury it in their memories and continue to blatantly refute the fact that he and Slappy were alive.

But I know deep down, through all of their bickering and confusion, they still love each other. They love _me_. They just wanted what they thought was the best for me, even if I didn't like it.

I fear that my marriage to Slappy will be far worse than simply arguments and disputes. I fear that his destructive behavior will only grow from here on out. If Mr. Wood is right, then he truly doesn't care for me. He is doing this for power, for glory.

Shameful to say, I actually was beginning to fall for him. He's suave, gentle at times, disgustingly handsome, and sometimes… it feels like he's all I have. But in the back of my mind, I hear Mr. Wood's words echo in my brain. As much as I want to love him, I will always think that to him… I am _nothing_.

I'm nothing more than a trophy wife and a slave and that's all I'll ever be. I'll have to respond to every beck and call without hesitation or enquiry. He will probably toss me around like a meaningless doll leaving more scars and bruises until he finally throws me away when I am no longer any use to him. Or he'll be too preoccupied with his work and neglect me, leaving me to my bitter loneliness… again.

I still have scars from my depression on my inner thighs, which is how my parents found out I may need some help in the first place. They found my razor sitting on the sink, bathing in my own blood. I had forgotten to rinse it and put it away before they located it and started to question my mental health. I've stopped since I started going to Dr. Crier. After she started giving me anti-depressants, I felt my sadness slowly get better and the desire to cause my own bleeding to cease. I never mentioned it to anyone and started to deny that I ever did it. It wasn't until Slappy sliced my face did I feel a sudden rush and urge to do it again. Though the pain was searing, it felt… good.

But I never want to have to be on that track again. No. It was too painful. For me, for my family… for my psyche.

I heard a small knock on the door. I hustled over to it, opening it for the small Horror that was revealed behind the wooden passageway.

"My lady, it is time," her old voice shivered, reaching out a clawed hand for me to hold.

"Okay," I nodded and took her hand. She led me out of the cold, confined room and walked me through the darkness. I could hear the sound of an organ, horribly playing a distorted rendition of the wedding march as we approached an enormous pair of double doors.

This is it.

_God, if you're there… I know we don't talk much, but please… I need your help tonight. Just… make sure I make it out of this okay. Please. _

_Amen._

* * *

><p><strong>I may or may not take a little hiatus. This wedding scene is going to take a while and I'm not sure how I want to do it yet. <strong>


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